 | It's time for flag waving, backyard picnics and mom's apple pie! Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It was proclaimed a national holiday to honor fallen soldiers from the Civil War on May 5, 1868 and was officially observed for the first time a few weeks later, on May 30, 1868. In 1882 the name Decoration Day was changed to Memorial Day and it became a day to also honor those who died in other wars. In 1971 the official day to celebrate Memorial Day was changed from May 30th to the last Monday in May. During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery. |
It's also customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend this ceremony annually.
There is also a National Memorial Day Concert held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The concert is open to the public and broadcast live on PBS. It's also broadcast to U.S. military personnel in more than 135 countries by the American Forces Radio and Television Network. This years annual National Memorial Day Concert begins on Sunday, May 24, 2009, at 8:00 EST.
On May 28th, we'll also honor our country's heroes and pay tribute to our loved ones in local Memorial Day parades and ceremonies. Memorial day traditionally means flags and colorful red, white and blue decorations will adorn streets and houses across America. In small towns and in big cities , displays of patriotism and flag waving, will be followed by fun and games, picnics and backyard feasts, and favorite desserts like Mom's apple pie!
If you're planning to spend the day at a community gathering in your town...if you're celebrating with friends at the beach or at a campground, or just staying home and having a backyard barbecue with your family, here's recipes for foods to fill your picnic basket or your Memorial Day table!
| Kabobs Recipes for Chicken on the Grill | Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Salad |
| Stars N' Stripes Cakes | Patriotic Parfaits Can't forget the Apple Pie! |
Links to Colorful, Patriotic Desserts
JELL-OŽ Easy Patriotic Pie, All-American Trifle, and Firecracker Cupcakes - all from Kraft.
Red, White & Blue Chocolate Cupcakes from Hersheys.
Have a safe & happy Memorial Day!
 | Portable Salad & Snack Server Here's an easy way to keep food cold and ready to serve without using ice. This unique server has a removable carrying handle. Six large compartments hold snacks, fruit, or veggies, and two removable containers with twist-off lids hold 1-1/4 cup of dips, sauces, or condiments. There's even room for food picks. The large opaque lid doubles as an ice tray under the server. |
| Salad on Ice Keep green salads cold and crisp and keep any type of salad or side dish safely chilled for hours with this shatterproof, acrylic, covered bowl and vented ice chamber. Food stays cool without touching the ice. It includes 7" long salad servers that hook to the sides of the bowl. |  |
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