Dear Cotillion Students,
Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of summer for most of us, but Memorial Day has its own significance.
Ladies and gentlemen know the importance of gratitude. Memorial Day is a holiday to remember those that have served and gave their lives fighting to defend our country. This Memorial Day, I want to help you understand the customs, etiquette and traditions associated with Memorial Day a bit better.
At sunrise, the flag should be raised briskly to full staff and then lowered to half staff to honor those that died in the line of duty. At noon, it is raised to full staff to salute all of those that have served.
If you attend a ceremony or a parade where the flag is raised or colors are presented (they carry the flag to the front and put it in a stand), you should stand, remove your hat if you are wearing one, place your hand over your heart (optional), and be silent until the flag is posted.
At 3 pm local time (wherever you are) stop, pause, and take a full minute to think of, remember, and be grateful for the service of our fallen service men and women. They deserve our gratitude and deserve to be remembered.
If you visit a cemetery, remember to be quiet. Cemeteries are reverent places. Being quiet shows respect for the dead and the living that are there visiting the graves.
Many choose to leave flowers, stones (Jewish tradition), coins (military tradition), and candles (Latin tradition) among other things. Do not touch the things that others have left in memory of those that passed away.
If you have the chance to visit Arlington Cemetery, you will frequently see coins on the headstones – sometimes piles of coins.
- A penny on the headstone simply means that you visited. You do not need to have them known them to leave a penny as an expression of gratitude.
- A nickel on the headstone means that you trained at boot camp with the deceased.
- A dime means that you served with them.
- A quarter lets the deceased’s family know that you were with the soldier when they were killed.
Eventually the cemetery collects the coins and uses the money for maintaining the cemetery or for burial costs for soldiers. (Do I need to remind you to not take the change! I hope not!!)
I want you to know how grateful I am for the service of our military men and women, and how grateful I am for our country. Take a moment on Monday, to think, remember and to be grateful for the great service that they have provided for us.
Love,
Mrs. Achiu
Northern Virginia Junior Cotillion 