decoration, decoration day noun An occasion on which a family or church congregation gathers on a Sunday to place flowers on the graves of loved ones and to hold a memorial service for them. Traditionally this involved singing and dinner on the ground as well as a religious service. Same as memorial day, this event was held at various times in the Smokies, usu in the late spring. The term and the occasion have been replaced by homecoming, which is usu celebrated anytime from early May to late September, with each community having its designated day.
—Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English
Decoration Day was held at the church where Pap, Granny, and Miss Cindy are buried a couple of weeks ago. I’m glad folks in my area still observe the tradition and I hope the following generations will continue it.
We had flowers on their graves already, but I wanted to bring something special to add.
The laurels are blooming so I cut a few branches. The perfect accompaniment to them was a few limbs of Granny’s giant oak hydrangea that was in full bloom.
I had planned to add more flowers, but once I seen the two together I knew that was enough.
To see a couple of wonderful old photos from decoration days go here.
Tipper
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With my husband being in the hospital I missed Decoration Day. My brother took care of my parent’s and brother’s graves. Our family has always observed Decoration Day. He was sad to find that no one showed up for our extended family’s graves. We are planning to get together and do another day in July. Hopefully I will be able to be there.
Strange to me,is the fact that my husband’s family doesn’t visit any of their family’s graves. I mean never. Different families, different traditions. I’m glad that my children and Granddaughters follow my family traditions in this.
Oh my heart! That precious boy next to Pap’s and Granny’s stone… made me tear up a little bit.
Decoration Day is still held at the little Baptist church in Madison County, NC where my mother was buried. It is a beautiful tradition and I hope it continues.
Last Sunday week was Decoration Day at Liberty Church in Henegar, AL. It’s an all day Sacred Harp singing with dinner on the grounds. Over a hundred singers from several different states attended. It was pouring rain so we didn’t follow the tradition of going out just before lunch to sing a few songs in the cemetery, but we did pause and call the names of many of those precious people gone before us and tell a few stories. It’s always such a special time.
I loved decoration day in the small communities.
Tipper, that is such a precious photo of Ira at the headstone of your parents! He looks like he is praying. So touching❣️
Decoration Day is such a special time. I wish more churches observed it. The flowers are beautiful. I feel it’s the least we can do for our loved ones that have gone on. I have noticed more and more cemeteries are just not maintained like they should be such as cutting grass, pulling the weeds, etc. It’s really sad.
What beautiful arrangements you out together for Decoration Day!
The idea for Memorial Day, the national holiday, is said to have originated from the practice of the sort of “decoration day” Miss Tipper is discussing. I had heard it came about when some war widows in the South announced that at the end of May they would put flowers on the graves of all war dead in their cemeteries, Union and Confederate, and that they hoped war widows in the North would do the same, as a gesture to “bind up the nation’s wounds.”
I’m very worried about Norman, black mols is nothing to mess with. Sounds like he needs help. I will pray for Normans health.
As always, praying for Papaw Tony & the Pressley families, I include Paul in there as well, LOL!
Good morning Tipper and Acorns. Decoration Day is a beautiful remembrance and act of love. TY for sharing this with us today. I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my prayers. Please keep Ed and me in your prayers too. Busy day ahead with Ed. TY. Love ya. -Barbara
We always had Decoration Day the last Sunday in May until they made it Memorial Day back in early 70’s, by our Federal Government, if I’m thinking correctly. Our family continued celebrating both on the same day honoring the men and women who died during the wars, and decorating our loved ones graves to honor them by attending church, a local military parade and a family picnic or dinner. I can’t decorate my loved ones graves on that same day since I moved from a different state to NC, but I do decorate their graves every time I go back to visit my remaining family, which is only once or twice a year now days. We observe Memorial Day as everyone else does now, strictly to honor the brave men and women throughout generations who have died for freedom. Churches in our area of NC including the church I attend now, don’t have a decoration day or homecoming day. It’s odd, but guess people just don’t like visiting their loved ones grave anymore.
Thoughts from a cemetery lawn boy……
While I fully appreciate the thoughts behind decorating graves, it makes for an aggravation for the folks who mow and weed eat when flowers and decorations are left on the ground. The saddle and the vases on Miss Cindy’s marker’s base are great examples of how to decorate without making more work for the folks who do the cleaning.
Let me encourage all of the BlindPig readers who decorate graves to think of the folks who are taking care of the grounds, and if your decorating involves putting stuff on the ground, consider going back a few days after decoration day and clean up after yourself.
Don, read my earlier comment about cutting the grass and trying to keep my church cemetery clean and neat during the mid 60’s when I was a 15 year old teenager. My church was founded in 1815 and there is no order in the way the earlier graves were laid out. I had to use a 20” push mower to cut around the graves the best I could. In the 60’s there were no string trimmers, I was asked to use a hoe and hoe between the graves because of the granite coping being so close. Daddy told them that was asking too much. We now have a retired older member that furnishes his own equipment and does a real good job of keeping the cemetery and church grass cut clean and neat. I have heard a few members complain about the job he does and the amount he gets paid, I have told some of them to cut it their selves one week and then complain. So far none have been willing to do it.
Tipper, they always called it Decoration Day and the churches would all have a special day down South to decorate. My Mother was very talented with flowers and would make all the sprays for her Mother’s and siblings graves. Now down South some call it Homecoming and families that have moved to other states go back and have like a family reunion and decorate the graves of their loved ones.
Norman I’m praying for you!
Ira looks precious in the photo. He is growing up so quickly. The laurels and hydrangeas look beautiful, as well. We had a huge white hydrangea bush in our back yard growing up. Mama always called it a snowball bush. I wonder if anyone else calls it that. Every time I see one, it takes me back home.
I call it a Snowball *
Brenda,
There was/is a snowball tree that used to be, and might still be there, on our family cemetery on Hampton Creek, TN. It was there as far back as I can remember. Haven’t been there in a few years; therefore, I do not know if is still there.
The older people always said that it started out as a snowball bush.
Praying for you Norman. Mold issues are serious.
My husband and I decorate the graves of
our loved ones each year and usually on their birthdays too. It’s important to remember them and teach that tradition to our children.
thank you Denise God bless you very much
I don’t know of any churches in my area that have a Decoration Day. I do seem to have a faint memory from when I was very young of our church taking a day to clean up our church cemetery. This would have been in the 50’, at that time cutting and trimming the grass would have been done with hand tools. For three years when I was 14-17years old (in the 60’s) I cut the grass at my church and cemetery in order to make me a little bit of money. I saved my money up and got my parents to take me to Sears and bought me a $75 dollar set of Craftsman tools with the first money I made, I still have and use them. Now all of the churches in my area have someone to cut their church grass at their church and cemetery if they have one. My son and me buy and keep fresh artificial flowers on 6 graves of our family members, it is personal for me, I think as long as I am able the least I can now do for them is keep fresh flowers on their graves.
Tipper mentioned Memorial Day, I read this last week in an article during the funeral after finding and identifying the remains of 6 Belgian soldiers from WWI. This was said at their funeral “we gave our today for your tomorrow.”
Good morning, Tipper. As you and Matt were talking about sleep, waking up early and staying up(I nodded in agreement there lol) and sleeping in, I knew which category I fell in. My eyes popped open at 5:30 this morning and I just rolled with it. The calmness draws me like a moth to a flame. This time of year,the cool morning air feels so fresh, I almost can’t pull enough into my lungs to make me happy. It has such a clean, sweetness to it. The kitties are always waiting to be fed and seem appreciative when their kibble arrives at 5:30 vs 7 haha. Weather permitting, I open the south window in my living room and listen to the choir of song birds greeting the day. This morning, a cardinal, a robin and a wren are entertaining me the loudest. After my coffee and a reading of my local paper I’ll take a “walkabout” and check my garden. Still trying to coax my cucumbers into existence. Critters and snails are plaguing those poor plants. Have a beautiful, blessed day everyone ♡
Kim, I am usually awake by 4 o’clock each morning. I just like to lay here in the cool, peaceful quietness, read a daily early morning devotional email from Dr. Charles Stanley and get an early jump on Tipper’ post each day. I have found out by going back to yesterday’s post at 4 o’clock I can find today’s post without having to wait until 6 o’clock. Many times I lay here awake thinking of my memories of the past years with my loved ones that have now passed on and thinking of how much happier my life use to be. If I have outside work to do I will be outside doing it just as soon as I can see, trying to beat the heat on these hot southern summer days. I do not have to worry about any noise I might make disturbing my closest neighbor of at least 1/4 mile away. I do not cut my grass when it is wet with dew. For many of the later years of my working life at Michelin I would be on my job as early as 4 o’clock in the morning. I have now been retired since 2013 but am still an early morning person. I do admit, I like to slip in a daily afternoon nap and being spoiled by my air conditioner in the afternoon on these hot summer days.
Your family will continue the tradition of Decoration Day as I see one of your grandsons checking everything out. Decoration Day is a time-honored ritual. It is so important to honor those gone before us.
Pray for me please, I’ve been exposed to black mold, I’m not sure how long, I had been smelling something like mouse urine, the window in the bedroom has been covered by a towel for about 2 years, a big towel to keep out the cold air in the winter time, well yesterday I took the towel down and the blind behind it was covered with black mold, the window, and the window frame, no telling how long I’ve been exposed, I’ve done all I can do to get it cleaned up, bleach and water bleach and water, I’ve thrown away a few things, and I have washed and cleaned a few, hot water and lots of bleach, anyways please pray for me I went to the doctor yesterday, talked with all the artificial intelligence about all the tests that need to be done, saw the heart doctor in while I was in the building I went by my regular doctor, she said I would have to go to Gainesville Georgia to get those tests, I don’t know why, I had the names of them she could have ordered them, the nurse could have taken my blood and they could have requested it from LabCorp, I don’t know how deep it is in the wall the mold and I will never know, right now I’m going to be sleeping on the couch, I have no place to go no way to evacuate, pray for me please thank you and God bless you very much
I’m sorry Norman. Hopefully it’s not the bad kind of mold. I’m praying for you.
thank you very much God bless Tony
Norman we will be praying for you and that God will provide to get it fixed.
thank you Linda
Praying for you Norman.
thank you Gloria
God bless you and comfort you about the passing of those you love in Jesus name, I sure do miss Granny, my brother’s resting place over at New Hope has been fixed up real nice, my sister sent me some pictures of some fresh flowers,