While Memorial Day is often a day marked by barbecues, family gatherings and celebrations, the true meaning is a little somber. This national holiday honors all soldiers who have died while serving the nation. In recent years, we also honor everyone in the United States military.
Before you hit the water and break out the sparklers, pause to remember the purpose of the day and the sacrifice of our American servicemen and women.
Why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1971, but was celebrated as far back as 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina. A parade was held to honor POWs who died there, along with singing and a picnic.
Later, the tradition of decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flags and flowers was born.
Pause to remember the purpose
Today, we often celebrate with parades to honor our servicemen and women in addition to picnics, barbecues, and evening sparklers or fireworks, to name a few. Flags must be flown at half-staff from sunrise to noon, then hoisted to the top of the staff until sunset.
Soldier graves are often decorated with American flags, and it̵
7;s the perfect time to visit your loved one’s resting place to clean and decorate.Celebrate safely
No matter how you celebrate today, we’ve gathered our best tips to help you keep safety in mind.
Barbecue safety
Cooking outside on the grill is almost synonymous with summer celebrations. While they help us make good, tasty food, it’s important to be smart about how, when and where you grill. Our grill safety guide can give you everything from where to place your grill to maintenance tips and even what to do in an emergency.
Cookouts and food safety
If you’ve got the grill out, you’re probably cooking for a small crowd. In addition, fruit salad, pasta salad, desserts and more. Brush up on food preparation tips, cooking temperatures for your food, and even how long your food can be left out before you need to refrigerate it.
Pool safety
Pool season is upon us with the temperatures heating up. If you’ve already opened your pool for the season, take a moment to read our pool safety guide and make sure you have a life ring on hand, for starters.
Camping safety
Whether you’re going camping for the first time or an experienced tent pitcher, it’s always good to brush up on your skills. Check out our tips for keeping yourself, your food and your clothes dry, as well as how to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
Sparkler security
Sparklers (and other fireworks) can burn hot — as hot as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, in fact. While they seem harmless and are fun to wave around, that doesn’t mean they’re any less likely to burn you. Brush up on our firework safety tips and keep a bucket of water nearby – before the fun begins.
Peace of mind for every day of the year
At ERIE, we want to protect what is important to you. Whether it’s your home, pool or car, we have coverage to suit your needs. Contact us today read more.
Want to test your Memorial Day knowledge? Take our quick six-question quiz.
ERIE® insurance products and services are provided by one or more of the following insurers: Erie Insurance Exchange, Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Company, Flagship City Insurance Company and Erie Family Life Insurance Company (home office: Erie, Pennsylvania) or Erie Insurance Company of New York (home office: Rochester, New York). The companies within the Erie Insurance Group are not licensed to do business in all states. See the company’s licensing and business information.
The insurance products and rates, if applicable, described in this blog are effective as of July 2022 and are subject to change at any time.
Insurance products are subject to conditions and exclusions not described in this blog. The policy contains the specific details of coverage, terms, conditions and exclusions.
The insurance products and services described in this blog are not offered in all states. ERIE life insurance and annuity products are not available in New York. ERIE Medicare supplement products are not available in the District of Columbia or New York. ERIE long-term care products are not available in the District of Columbia and New York.
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