Holidays - Cape Coral,FL

Well, I suspect you had the holidays you had as a child because your parents made them that way!
There were several parades here within a short driving distance. Our local cemetery had a ceremony for vets and it was FILLED with attendees, visitors and flag placements.
You might have to look and plan, but its all out there. You have to find it and make it the holiday you want.

Veterans Day in November is to honor all veterans of all wars. Memorial Day is to remember and honor all servicemen who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. There were local gatherings all over the country today- at cemeteries, parks and civic centers. Next year check your local paper in advance. There were several activities in Cape Coral and I just googled Memorial Day Cape Coral Florida. Here is just one from the Cape Coral area: One of the most publicized events is the dedication of the "Tribute to a Soldier" statue at the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve at the foot of the Midpoint Bridge. This new memorial will sit next to the replica of Felix de Weldon's tribute to the flag-raising on Iwo Jima. I think that for many people, Memorial Day has become an extra day off and lots of shopping. That's sad, since so many military men and women have lost their lives defending our freedoms.

My home backs to a cemetery, and there has been a ceremony there honoring our fallen soldiers since long before I moved to town 25 years ago. Many locals gather there for the event and the Boy Scouts have a flag burning ceremony in the park prior to it. Many local villages had parades and ceremonies today. (ADDED: The Scouts do this every year and people bring their used/worn flags to be disposed of properly. Burning is one way to dispose of a flag correctly.)

I'll bet if you look next year, you can find a ceremony to attend. I actually found this by doing a google search.... looks like there were events in your area today: http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detai...

C.:

Why not start a tradition yourself? Why not gather people together to lay flags on our fallen soldiers? If you don't want to do that? Well, then do it yourself.

We live just outside DC. We have Rolling Thunder come into town. We go in and visit the memorials.

YOU need to make these choices. Stop expecting someone else to start it up. This tradition you had growing up? You can have yourself. You don't need a "group" to honor our fallen.

The National Cemetery in Florida is in Busnell. Why not make the trek up there?

Please thank your father and husband for their service and sacrifices to our country.

Good luck!

I remember when all stores were closed on National Holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving. When I was a child stores closed from 12 -3 PM on Good Friday. Stores were closed on Sunday.

Holidays and Sundays were family days. But Life has changed since I was a child. When I was young most wives and mothers were stay at home moms. Those women had the time to get things done during the week. But now with so many women working they can't get to the stores between 9 AM and 5 PM, they have to shop evenings and weekends. Though I do feel for the retail workers, I worked in retail for years, who have to sacrifice their family time and work on holidays. I especially hate Black Friday. It is almost impossible to have a nice Thanksgiving with your family and get up at 2 or 3 AM to be at work to open a store by 4-5 AM. My daughter works at an IHOP and had to be at work by Midnight Thanksgiving night to serve the shoppers who would go for breakfast before hitting the mall.

If you want things to change. Be the force of change in your community. Refuse to shop on holidays, Black Friday, Sundays if they get no customers they will not stay open.

What you did as a child, your parents chose to do.

If you want something other than what you did yesterday, choose to do something different. You have to make it happen yourself.

You may not realize it but many, many ceremonies and events are not on the Monday holiday itself -- around here, even some battlefields, cemeteries and towns etc. have their ceremonies, wreath layings, parades etc. on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. It is possible that there were events all around you but not on Monday. Next year look for events on the Saturday before Memorial Day. We were at a Civil War battlefield all day yesterday, but their main ceremony was held on Saturday, not Monday. (We knew that and chose to go on Monday anyway.)

There surely were events in your area -- Florida has a LOT of retirees and therefore must have a lot of veterans, and you also have a lot of military bases down there. Did you search online? Look at sites for your local bases?

There are VA cemeteries all over the place if you seek one out and you can go there next year if you like. Or even better, help the living -- take your kids to volunteer at a retirement home for retired military members, maybe, if those opportunities are there.

The caring is out there but you do have to seek out the events and be aware that they may not fall on the Monday.

My daughter marched in the parade, played taps, and thanked the veterans for their service. We went to lunch with her friends and their parents afterwards.
Then we had a quiet day at home before the older kids left and went back to college - they are taking summer classes.
I think every town in the US observed Memorial Day somehow. You just need to contact your local VFW or American Legion for the details.
LBC

Hard to believe there was nothing within an hour or so of your home. Holidays are different because people do not teach their children what is important. Flags need to be out and children need to understand that they are free to play because men and women gave their lives for the freedoms that they enjoy. They nee to learn to place their hand over their heart for the national anthem. 20 years from now Memorial Day won't mean a thing to anyone. It is so sad. Everyone is too busy going to sales, BBQing and doing other things. For me and my entire family, we take the day to remember. We attend our town parade, help lay wreaths at our cemeteries.
We have been doing this for the 40 years we have lived in town. We make sure our grandchildren respect our flag and our troops.

The only difference here this year is that our Memorial Day parade was usurped by a 200 year anniversary celebratory parade honoring our city's role in winning the the War of 1812. It was twice as long and included many many soldiers.

We didn't go to cemeteries on Memorial Day growing up, because we didn't have a car and didn't live in the area where my mother grew up. Any holiday is what you make of it. If it didn't go the way you liked, plan something different for next year :)

There were ceremonies at all our local cemeteries. Next year, look in your local paper for events in your area. Our kids helped place flags at the graves of vets, we discussed the meaning behind the day, ate Chinese (I did not want to cook) and we sent them to bed.

I feel the same as you. I am a very nostalgic person. I go to the cemetary to visit my parents, paternal grandmother, sister, aunt whenever I am back in town.

I miss that my family used to actually cook on holidays and not cater food in. I miss that family holidays were for family and not for friends.

I agree with 1perfect1, this is our time to make memories that we want our children to recall.

Good question!

Do you live in your hometown, or have you moved to a new area?

Where I live, in the Chicago suburbs, there are many villages that have Memorial Day parades and prayer services. Churches have Memorial Day Masses. We usually BBQ.

I grew up and still do think that Memorial Day is a day to remember everyone who has passed before us. We, too, visited the cemetary, watched a parade and had a picnic with extended family. We continued to do this until my parents became too ill to do it. That was about 20 or so years ago.

I no longer have a large extended family that gets together for holidays. I don't live close to a cemetery in which my relatives are buried and I no longer have family in that area either. So, individual families do their own celebrations. We didn't continue with the tradition and I do feel sad about it.

I could've seen a parade. We have several around our area. I suggest that you probably also have them but you've not looked to find them. And since we don't know anyone buried in a cemetery, we don't visit one. I did get together with my daughter and her family in the afternoon and evening. In the past we've barbecued. We didn't this year because my daughter is nearly 9 months pregnant. I had breakfast with a cousin and her family. We celebrate but in a simpler and smaller way.

I suggest that you can honor those men in any way that you want. I don't celebrate in the old fashioned way by choice. If you want to see a parade, go to the cemetery and have a picnic you will find others also doing that. It's just not as common as it used to be.

BK: The scouts had a flag burning ceremony????

We live very near DC, so there are tons of activities going on in honor of Memorial Day. In years past, we have gone to a local bay and tossed in white rose petals in honor of all of the fallen.

My grandfathers, dad, husband, and brother have all served honorably. Thank God they all came home safely each time, but still. It's a day we celebrate life as we know it in America. We only get to do that because of them. So honestly, no matter what we do on that day, we are honoring those who gave all for us, just by doing what we are free to do.

All the cemeteries I know of had Memorial Day programs. The one my Dad is resting in didn't have money for flags so some were donated to place on the graves.
http://ktla.com/2013/05/25/residents-honor-those-who-made...

Veteran's Day is for all veterans, today, Memorial Day, is for those who sacrificed their lives during their service.

Where I live, there are still special Memorial Day events for people who wish to attend them. Now that you're the adult, you need to hunt for them. Next time, check your newspaper (real or virtual), as well as your online city information source (I imagine Cape Coral has a web site), a few days before the day. Actually, try it for Independence Day. I'm sure you'll find a choice of events to participate in.

As far as family get-togethers are concerned, you'll have to organize those, just as your mama and other adult relatives did when you were a child. It's great that you have such a wonderful example to emulate as much as you want to.

And it's great that your father and husband were in the service. My husband was in the Army in the 1960s. He was not sent to Viet Nam, but he did serve in Korea for a year. My father was just over the age limit when the U.S. entered World War Two in 1941, so he joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary and served his country that way.

My thoughts are, if you want it to happen, make it happen. Organize a neighborhood parade. Research community parades and events like others suggested. There is nothing stopping you from taking the initiative to take your kids to the local cemetery. Make a special Memorial Day meal every year. Start new traditions.

In my hometown there are always events (you have to look for them in the
paper.....some are advertised on the local news) & a parade.

We always put up flags lining our drive way.

We have a bbq.

Now as an adult, whenever I see a person in militarty uniform, I go up and
thank them for their service telling them I appreciate their putting their
lives on the line for my freedom.

Please tell your father & husband I am thankful for their service and
appreciate their sacrifice as I sit safely in my home living out my daily
life. I try to remind myself every day of this.

In our area, there were events. We just didn't attend them. We did go to a birthday party and a barbecue. In past years, I have visited memorials in DC or attended parades.

When we lived in a small town in NY, there was a huge parade through town on Memorial Day and a complete Flag Ceremony at the town memorial. It was beautiful and we went every year. Afterward, there was usually a chicken picnic at the Methodist Church, but we typically opted to have something in our neighborhood. Yes, we lived in small town USA and all had a flag flying outside of our homes.

We moved to FL in December and we were both surprised by the lack of "true" celebrations yesterday. There were celebrations, parades and services here when we were kids. My parents found a "children's celebration" and took the kids yesterday and I am so glad that they did. We had a barbecue at my sister's and headed home... pretty low key.

I have two cousins who are currently active (Navy Seal and Army Ranger, go figure!) so we are always conscious of Memorial Day, as we are very lucky that they have been safe to date, but it is sad that folks seem to think of Memorial Day as "summer's kickoff" rather than a reminder that some have truly given everything that they are to preserve our way of life.

I believe that there are celebrations all over for Memorial Day. You probably just need to do a little research to see what is in your area.

I am sure that there is a VA cemetary somewhere near you, you could have gone and put up flags with you and your family, or put out flowers or anything that you wanted to do.

As far as honoring your dad and your husband (and thank you for their service) really you can do that anytime but if Memorial Day is when you miss those things then you could have had a BBQ in their honor.

You can make the holidays anything you want them to be. Plan ahead for the next upcoming holiday that is important to you and make it what you want it to be. :-)