I logged in to the Internet this morning and saw Comcast’s Memorial Day Quiz on my home page. I took it, in part because I wanted to write about Memorial Day today and I thought it might provide some ideas. I scored 58 out of 150. I am the first to admit I am not great at history. But in my defense, I was distracted by all the typos in the questions. I then took it again. Different questions, fewer typos, but still…Star Spanged Banner, Arlington Cemetary, rememberance. This time I scored 148.
Memorial Day means different things to different people. For my husband and me, it used to be all about Dewey Beach.
I commemorated the holiday yesterday. In church I joined in prayers for those who have given their lives in service to our country, and their families. I thought of the American teenagers who have died in war these last nine years, and prayed for their mothers. I joined in singing Eternal Father, Strong to Save, also known as the United States Navy Hymn, which asks protection of those serving on land and sea and in the air.
Then I went home and had a barbeque.
Today I will partake in another important Memorial Day ritual: taking out my white pants and shoes. I know this news will elicit snickers from family members in Arizona who have been wearing white since March. Anyone who knows me is aware I am an etiquette purist. Pathologically compliant. For me, living on the edge means wearing white on the Sunday before Memorial Day, but never past Labor Day. I won’t even wear spectators outside the Memorial-to-Labor Day window.
I believe etiquette makes our lives easier by providing a clear framework for our behavior and lifting responsibility for making decisions about such matters.
In the movie Serial Mom, which stars Kathleen Turner (and my Aunt Patsy), a Martha Stewart-like homemaker brutally murders those who commit simple etiquette violations, such as smacking gum, stealing a parking space and not rewinding a video rental. In her final act, she slaughters Patty Hearst for wearing white shoes after Labor Day.
See, I just wouldn’t want to risk the consequences.
Happy Memorial Day.
Word Nymph 
Are we supposed to wait until March??
No, but surely you can wait until May.
Dear Etiquette Purist —
I always wondered, is it permissable to wear tan bucks or searsucker outside the Mem/Labor day window in DC?
Without consulting any authority, I am going to say tan bucks, OK, white only within the window. I will have to get back with you on seersucker.
I loved this Monica…I had forgotten the ritual of taking out white clothing on Memorial Day…being a rebel, I wear white whenever I wanted but I have to chuckle because my mom followed this ritual with us and still observes it…I remember that Memorial Day was the day you could wear shorts…I lived for that day and as you know, now I live some place that I wear shorts all year long and white too…but I alway manage to get the white clothes dirty, so I do less and less of that…Have a good Memorial Day
You would definitely reassess this tradition if you lived in south Florida!
There is winter white and summer white and I partake of both.
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