For many people the thought of Memorial Day initiates thoughts of barbecues and swimming as it is the start of summer. However, flowers are a great thing to remember this year. There is power in flowers, especially on this holiday. You should understand why they are powerful so you can find the ones that are right for your celebration.

The Original Memorial Day Celebration

The first time this holiday was celebrated was on May 30, 1868. People went to Arlington Cemetery and put flowers on the graves of both the union and confederate graves. This was a way to honor the dead soldiers. While the flowers used were not mentioned, in 1915 the poem In Flanders Fields swayed many to start wearing red poppy flowers on Memorial Day to remember the soldiers who had died during war.

How to Incorporate Flowers into Your Celebration

Even if you are just doing a small barbecue at your home for this holiday, you can still have flowers as a way to celebrate those soldiers who fought for our freedom. You do not have to go with poppies, but just about any flower you want. There are many who believe that red, white or blue flowers should be used, but this is only because they are patriotic colors.

You may even find it helpful to go to a cemetery and place flowers on graves of soldiers. While these are not all marked, if you have a loved one who served and is now deceased this could be a great way to honor their memory by bringing them flowers. This does not have to take away from your normal Memorial Day festivities. You can do this in the morning and still make it to the beach or a party that you have planned for the day.

Take the time to tell someone about the flowers and what they stand for. You may find that it is something that resonates within them and they find a new tradition as well. This is because while it is common knowledge that flowers honor the dead, many do not think about them on holidays such as this to honor soldiers.