May 22, 2023
A New Meaning to an Old Memorial
Who would claim that a national holiday would henceforth be all about him? . . .
Articles for tag: Memorial Day
May 31, 2021
The ‘Purchase Price’ of Our Nation’s Unity
An Editorial from 1899: "lt would be an ungrateful nation that did not remember the purchase price of its unity and greatness, its peace and progress. Decoration Day has become as firmly fixed with us as the Fourth of July. . . ."
June 16, 2017
Let Us Celebrate
By Rick Chromey Every culture has holidays, but few sanctify more special days than Americans. Perhaps it”s because we embrace our past as good and godly. Perhaps it”s because we hunger for any reason to party or get a day off. Or perhaps it”s because we need another special day to capitalize on our consumerism. Regardless of the reason, Americans celebrate famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick, and Columbus. We memorialize Mondays into three-day weekends to rest from our labor. We throw parties on July 4, October 31, and December 31. We love to give thanks around
January 15, 2016
Let Us Celebrate
By Rick Chromey Every culture has holidays, but few sanctify more special days than Americans. Perhaps it”s because we embrace our past as good and godly. Perhaps it”s because we hunger for any reason to party or get a day off. Or perhaps it”s because we need another special day to capitalize on our consumerism. Regardless of the reason, Americans celebrate famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick, and Columbus. We memorialize Mondays into three-day weekends to rest from our labor. We throw parties on July 4, October 31, and December 31. We love to give thanks around
May 27, 2014
The Christian”s Ritual of Remembrance
By Mark A. Taylor Last Saturday, The Wall Street Journal posted a headline above a picture of a grade-school boy decorating a soldier”s grave in Virginia: “With Memorial Day Approaching, Rituals of Remembrance Begin.” But the American Automobile Association estimated more than 36 million Americans would be traveling over the holiday weekend. A spokesman suggested this year”s unrelenting winter created a pent-up longing to experience warm temperatures in wide-open spaces. And I”m wondering how many of these sun-starved campers, fliers, and interstate sojourners took time for a “ritual of remembrance.” Only a minority, most likely, but I”ll not bore you
January 2, 2014
Neighbor Saving
By Jennifer Johnson My favorite neighbors are the Jewish couple next door. This is not because they are the only neighbors I know, although that, also, is true. But even if I knew everyone on our street I would still adore the Needlemans and their squishy, smiley, 1-year-old twins. This weekend we”re taking care of their two black labs; when Matt and I travel in a few weeks they”ll look in on our own ginormous dog. This past summer our times together included an impromptu Memorial Day cookout, a cozy Sunday evening with the kids, and a trying but ultimately
June 22, 2012
Endless Summer
By Rick Chromey Few seasons, other than Christmas, have more songs dedicated to them than summer. The soundtrack of our youth is loaded with countless odes to those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer in the city. Even when the summertime blues proved cruel, most boys of summer still favored hot fun in the summertime. After all, who doesn”t enjoy a summer breeze to make you feel fine? Perhaps the reason summer captures our imagination and inspires our soul is we”d love for it to be, as the Beach Boys” album suggested, “endless.” Summer reminds us of childhood and a
June 8, 2012
A New Meaning to an Old Memorial
By Nancy Karpenske Imagine family and friends around your picnic table at Memorial Day. The head of the family is explaining to the youngsters about the origin and importance of the holiday. But instead of reciting history, as one would expect, he puts himself in the middle of the meaning, as if he is going to leave your family picnic and volunteer to give his life for his country. He even claims that from now on, Memorial Day will focus on his sacrifice more than on the remembrance of previous veterans. You might be glad this imaginary family isn”t yours””or
