Memorial Day Weekend 2023: Parades, Ceremonies In And Around Windsor

WINDSOR, CT — The upcoming Memorial Day parade in Windsor, preceded by a pair of remembrance ceremonies at local cemeteries, is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

An 8 a.m. ceremony at Elm Grove Cemetery on Poquonock Avenue will be followed by a 9 a.m. ceremony at Veterans Cemetery on Pleasant Street. U.S. Army Vietnam veteran Art Miller will deliver the parade marshal's address from 9:45-10 a.m., followed by a parade to town hall.

Other nearby towns are also hosting parades and ceremonies, with all but those noted taking place on Memorial Day itself:

• Somers - Saturday, May 27, 10 a.m., annual commemoration ceremony in Percoski Auditorium at the high school, featuring the American Legion, Somers Girl Scouts, First Selectman Tim Keeney and the Somers High School and Middle School bands.
• Enfield - Sunday, May 28, parade steps off at 1 p.m. at Enfield Street School. Participants will march to the town green, where a wreath ceremony and gun salute will take place.
• Ellington - parade, 9 a.m. in the Crystal Lake section where Green Street intersects with Route 140, ends at Crystal Lake Cemetery with a brief service. Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at Ellington High School; around 11:30 a.m., a parade will begin from the high school and proceed to the Ellington Green and to the Ellington Cemetery for brief memorial tributes at each location.
• Suffield - parade, 9 a.m. from Ffyler Place to Veterans Memorial Park
• East Granby - parade, 10 a.m. from Elmwood Cemetery to town campus for short memorial service
• East Windsor - Most Patriotic Parade, 10 a.m. from town hall annex to the memorial green
• Granby - parade at 10 a.m. beginning at Geissler's parking lot
• South Windsor - Patriotic Commission Memorial Day parade, 10 a.m. in Veterans Memorial Park on Pleasant Valley Road
• Windsor Locks - American Legion parade, 10 a.m. from public safety complex to Memorial Hall

As the observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members, regardless of whether they served in the military.

Memorial Day weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer, but is it appropriate to wish someone a "Happy Memorial Day?" The answer is, not really.

According to Vehiclesforveterans.org, Memorial Day comes at the end of a carefree weekend, but it is not designed to be a celebration. Wishing a "Happy Memorial Day" contradicts what is meant to be a somber day. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day began after the Civil War, and was intended to be "an opportunity to start healing as a country by coming together and honoring those who had died."

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.

American flags are also a big part of Memorial Day. Here are some tips from the Veterans of Foreign Wars about the proper care and display of the U.S. flag:

• The federal flag code says the universal custom is to display the U.S. flag from sunrise to sunset on buildings and stationary flagstaffs in the open, but when a patriotic effect is desired the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness. Also, the U.S. flag should not be displayed when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
• For most homeowners with one flagpole, this means the U.S. flag is at the peak, above any other flag.
• The U.S. flag should not be torn, ripped or in any way wrapped around the pole or snagged in the lines. It should fly free and be able to move around the pole unobstructed.
• A U.S. flag should never be used as clothing or for decoration. Red, white and blue bunting is the proper method for decoration on porches, windows, etc.
• On special days, by order of the governor, the flag may be flown at half-staff.

Here are some other guidelines:

• Do not let the flag touch the ground.
• Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it.
• Do not store the flag where it can get dirty.
• Do not use it as a cover.
• Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free.
• Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag.
• When a U.S. flag is no longer able to be flown properly, disposal by burning is required.