Au Pairs will be celebrating the Memorial Day Holiday weekend with host families, children and friends. This is a day of celebration — there will be parades, hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, a lot of people will be dressed in red, white and blue, and many American flags will be on display. Generally, the American Flag is flown at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day, and is then raised to the top of the flag pole. Memorial Day is a day to remember those men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the United States of America. Following is information about the history of Memorial Day in the United States.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states then others followed. It is now celebrated on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays).

Americans honor those who have lost their lives by visiting cemeteries, placing flags and flowers on graves, flying the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon, attending parades and participating in the “National Moment of Remembrance” at 3.00pm.

Children can be a part of Memorial Day too. Here are some links to children’s activities:

http://sunniebunniezz.com/puzzles/memdykws.htm

http://sunniebunniezz.com/puzzles/memdymcr.htm

http://www.usmemorialday.org/activities/flag/index.htm

http://sunniebunniezz.com/memdyjbc.htm

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” ~Maya Angelou