Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Patriotic Sparkling Sangria, in both alcoholic & non-alcoholic versions, of course inspired by Memorial Day here in the U.S.
While Memorial Day weekend is often celebrated in the United States as the unofficial start of summer, with vacations, cookouts, and mattress sales, the true meaning of the holiday is a bit more serious, & it’s grounded in remembrance.
Memorial Day is a uniquely American holiday, because its roots tie to directly to the U.S. Civil War, which claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history, nearly 700,000 persons in four years. While the war ended in 1865, by the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.
On May 5, 1866, the town of Waterloo, New York, formalized this ritual and hosted a city-wide “Decoration Day,” encouraging its citizens to create memorials on soldiers’ graves with flags and flowers. A few years later in 1868, Gen. John A. Logan declared that the first-ever national Decoration Day should take place on May 30, as the date was a neutral day for both sides of the Civil War to honor their fallen soldiers.
On May 20, 1868, over 5,000 first-ever National Decoration Day participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. By the late 1800s, cities and communities across the United States began to observe the day and several states declared it a legal holiday.
Over the next few decades, the day transitioned from being called Decoration Day to its current name of Memorial Day.
In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May instead of a set calendar day. By 1971, the three-day weekend for federal employees went into full effect.
While we hope you do have a chance to take the day off today, and enjoy some good weather, we also hope that you’ll take a few moments to pay tribute to the fallen while still enjoying the sunshine and outdoors.
Here are a few ideas on how you might celebrate the holiday, with a bit of solemnity:
1) Participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00pm, local time
2) Visit a military cemetery or memorial, or attend a Memorial Day parade
3) Display the U.S. flag at your home
4) Watch the National Memorial Day Concert
Understanding the Difference Between Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day
As Americans, we celebrate dozens of patriotic holidays throughout the year: Flag Day, Armed Forces Day, Independence Day, and more. However, two of these days — Memorial Day and Veterans Day — are often confused for the other and can be easily misunderstood.
Memorial Day specifically honors those who died in military service to the United States, whereas Veterans Day (November 11) celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, living and dead.
While we hope fun, friends, & family are part of your holiday weekend, it’s important to remember the true reason behind the holiday. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the men and women of this country who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend the United States from its enemies, both foreign & domestic, in the hope that all of us would help this nation to become the best possible version of what it can be.
With that in mind, we salute all of the fallen members of the U.S. military this weekend with today’s Drink Of The Day, Patriotic Sparkling Sangria.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
