What used to be called "Decoration Day" back in the 40's and 50's was what we now call "Memorial Day" in May. I don't know where the tradition came from but had heard of this "doins" in the mountains of Ky, Tn. and Carolinas. On this day the folks would all go to the cemetary and "decorate" the graves. Shovels, rakes, axes and sythes would be loaded into the horse drawn wagon and away the entire family would go to the cemetary to clean up graves of relatives. It was usually an all day long event with some work being done and a whole lot of visitin with neighbors, family and friends. Food was always a big part of those long ago days. Everybody brought food--and lots of it. My, how times have changed. Those same little country cemetarys are so neglected now that it's terrible. To some now, it would be gruesome and "hillbilly" to even attempt the same thing. Well, maybe it is now but back then it surely wasn't. It was like lots of things back then-acceptable behavior amongst everybody but I guess things do change with time. As I think about it more now, I don't believe I'd wanna do it again either! The visitin, eatin and even some work would be okay but the place is kinda weird--even for this old hillbilly dude. As Higgins on "Magnum P.I." would say--By the by-me an lil dumplin are a gonna go rund'n round this long weekend. Leavin in the A.M. to have a "look see" at some whars else in this neck a tha woods. Puter needs a rest anyhow. It will hardly work anymore. Mr Lighting maybe. Had it worked on the other day but it's even slower than before. Everybody have a Blessed Weekend and be good to each other. Old hoot gibson. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 03, 2000

Answers

Forgot to mention I'm gettin bunches of SPAM since about last Sat or Sun. I'm so puter dumb, don't think I blundered into something that I don't want but then again I could've done it and didnt' even know. Ole Puter does crazy things too. Jumpin around from location to location without being told to. Maybe I'm the one that needs the rest! Maybe I picked up a virus? I'll have it checked out again. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 03, 2000.

Hey Hoot! I know exactly where you're coming from. I remember as a child going to clean off the graves an decorating them with flowers, only our area does it on Mother's Day, as well, sort of a general ancestor day celebration. There'd be a service, with a Mother's Day theme, and the congregation would wear carnations - white if you mum was dead and red if she was still extant. Just to give you a look into our family, all us kids always wore pink ones. (Well, she always acted half-dead!) After the service, there'd be a church dinner (potluck, and lots of it) during the course of which we'd wander around the cemetary, commenting on the interred and putting in flowers and such. It was pretty good entertainment to hear all the stories and arguments surrounding the memories (or disputes thereof) of my kin. Gran went this year and came back in tears because the new generation ( my age, but not my fault - I live out of state now) just didn't care. Appearently, almost no one was wearing a carnation of any color, and while there was dinner, there wasn't even a note in the service about moms or Mother's Day, let alone any grave looking- after. 'bout broker her heart. Mine too. Maybe when I move back, I'll try to fire 'em up again. At least I can hand out some pink carnations and disputatious commentary on the foregone.

-- Soni Pitts (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000.

hoot, i saw a little blurb on tv about a young girl(14) who was very upset about the condition of the graveyard. she spent all of memorial day cleaning around everyone's stone. she didn't even know one person there! i actually find fascination with graveyards, i think there is a lot of history there and i like to read what people write about the person that got plunked in the ground.

-- Amber (ambrosia75_@hotmail.com), August 04, 2000.

Hoot, Here in North Alabama, Decoration Day is still an event of sorts. The week before Mothers Day (the second Sunday in May) people go to their family plots with tools, mowers and decorator gravel where appropriate to pretty up the graves for visitation and flower laying on the second Sunday.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 04, 2000.