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Warmest regards and thanks again for being here~ Michael Cress

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day and the Unofficial Beginning of Summer

Ahhh. Memorial Day. The Unofficial beginning of summer. Realizing this site is viewed by readers in not only all 50 states but every continent and 130 additional countries, this celebration is somewhat localized. That said, a little perspective.

The above image is one I took in the Boston Common. One flag is planted for every Massachusetts serviceman who gave their lives since WWI. Over 20,000 is quite a sight to see. Boston is appropriate for Memorial Day as this was where the Revolutionary War began that led to independence from mother-England and the formation of the United States. From all I can tell, both the U.S and the U.K have gotten over any hard feelings.

As Memorial Day is a memorial to those who gave their lives for the country, the timing means other things for us Yanks. This time of year, even New York, Boston and the rest of the Northeast can finally depend on summer weather, vacations, cookouts, and summer attire!

Beginning in the late 1800's as more people were entering the middle class, the fashion trend-setting wealthy felt it was appropriate to pass along some guidelines to the nouveau-riche crowd they felt needed some assistance. One of the rules was to only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This rule inevitably morphed into white being worn only during this period. "Winter-white" apparently was OK during the other nine months of the year. For many, these guidelines have stuck around.

No matter what your personal position is, it's now safe to wear white. The fashion police can preoccupy themselves with something else. Summer also means summer-dresses, seersucker suits, vibrant colors and sun-kissed faces. Ahh, my favorite time of year. Everyone enjoy, take a moment to remember what Memorial Day is really for and for heaven's sake, dress in style!

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