Memorial Day, 2012

I love visiting with folks about their Memorial Day traditions. In fact, the more I visit, the more I learn that the older generation was raised going out to the cemetery on Memorial Day and really celebrating. They would sit under covered pavilions in their lawn chairs and visit with kin-folk and friends alike; the ladies would bring the food while the men would bring their weed eaters and lawn mowers. All in all, the day was devoted to remembering loved ones and offering a display of respect by decorating their graves and cleaning up around them.

Today many cemeteries still have what they call "Decoration Day" that may be held on Memorial Day weekend or another designated day in the spring or summer. The Veteran's groups still go out and place small flags on Veterans' graves while families work to make their loved ones' memorials look fresh and "springy". Decoration days are my absolute favorite to visit the cemetery because everything looks so fresh and lovely! here is something so peaceful about going to the cemetery and seeing all of the beautiful monuments adorned with flowers, trinkets, notes and more. And there is also something so "old-timey" feeling about seeing folks gathered under the pavilion, sharing memories and making new ones.

This year Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 28. For those who have recently lost a loved one, or have lost a loved one and have yet to erect a memorial, the deadline to order monuments from Emerson Monument Company with a guarantee of having them placed in the cemetery by Memorial Day is April 15.

For those who have beautiful monuments in the cemetery, now is the time to begin thinking of your floral arrangements. Some tricks to making your cemetery arrangements work are:

• Use plenty of florist foam in the vase to ensure your vase arrangement will not blow away in the wind.
• Secure saddles by tying one end of the fishing line to each metal saddle "throng" and the other end to a tent stake. Drive the stakes into the ground. This will prevent it from flying away in the wind.
• Try spraying arrangements with a clear laquer finish to prevent fading in the sun. (actually, it won't prevent it but it will delay the process).
• Contact a local florist to make and place an arrangement in the cemetery on your behalf if you live out of town or are unable to visit the cemetery.

Decorating Ideas

One of my favorite things to do is to stroll through local cemeteries on or around their decoration days. These days are designed to bring families together to help beautify the cemetery and give them an opportunity to honor their loved one with flowers, trinkets and more. Of course in doing this I have gained several decoration ideas that I would like to share.

Of course the most popular way to decorate a loved one's grave is by simply utilizing the granite vases that are commonly attached to the base of the memorial. You can purchase pre-arranged silk floral bundles that are perfect for cemetery use at stores like Hobby Lobby or you may have some made at a local florist shop. To keep your flowers from blowing away, try using florist foam in the vases (the trick is to cram as MUCH as you possibly can into the vase).

Another popular way to decorate is to use a saddle on top of the monument.

I have found that the prettiest saddles come directly from a florist and they are typically reasonably priced. When purchasing a saddle it is important to know the size of the monument (you don't want a small saddle on a large stone or vise versa). If you are working with a florist you can also have him or her incorporate trinkets (can you see the ornaments in our Christmas saddle?) and other unique items into the design.

Some other decoration ideas include:

-Shepherd's Hooks. These are iron hooks that allow baskets of flowers to hang from them. Check with your cemetery to see if these are allowed.

-Blankets. These are flat mesh coverings that are covered with flowers. Check with your cemetery to see if these are allowed.
-Sprays. You have probably seen the little metal stands with floral attangements on them. Those are called sprays. Check with your cemetery to see if these are allowed.

I hope you find these decorating ideas helpful. Add your favorite decorating idea in the comments section below if you have an idea to share.