Today Americans will fly the flag at half-staff, visit cemeteries and memorials, and pause for a national moment of remembrance at 3 pm. They may also attend a parade. And because Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, many Americans will head to the beach and parks and their backyards for some barbecue and red, white, and blue fun.
Memorial Day wasn't always on the last Monday of May, but as the Opinion Pages at the New York Times observes, it seems a good time of year.
It has always seemed fitting to mark the purpose of this holiday — honoring those who have died in our country’s service — at the exuberant end of May. The outburst of spring is just slowing into summer’s cadence, and yet you can still smell and feel the biological crescendo all around you.
In this too brief, Pagan-friendly editorial, the writer explores the idea of nature as a comforting force following the solemnity of such a day. Read it in its entirety at the New York Times.
How will you be spending Memorial Day today?
About the image: Young Patriot in the U.S. Army Flickr for the public domain.


