# When you were a child did you decorate your bike for Memorial Day?



## Ruth n Jersey (May 23, 2016)

Our town went all out for Memorial Day. There was a parade in the morning and every class made a banner, all of us made flowers out of tissues that were folded like an accordion then fanned out to resemble a carnation. They were placed on the banner with the grade number then two children were chosen to carry it in the parade.Quite an honor. In the afternoon we had hot dogs, hamburgers etc. in the park. But the best part was decorating our bikes. We spent days before the holiday doing it. The photo is of me on my bike in the mid 50's ready to roll.


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## SeaBreeze (May 23, 2016)

Sweet photo Ruth!  No, I don't recall anyone decorating their bikes on Memorial Day, maybe it was different in a big city compared to smaller towns.


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## Butterfly (May 23, 2016)

They didn't do it here, either.


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## Guitarist (May 24, 2016)

I love that photo!  I had a bike sort of like that one when I was maybe about the same age.  What kind was yours? Was it blue?

I like the description of your town's observance of Memorial Day.  I grew up in a city, don't remember anything about Memorial Day other than that it was the last day of school and the first day the pool was open, so that was where we were.


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## jujube (May 24, 2016)

My grandmother would always take me to the cemetery on Memorial Day to put flowers and little flags on the relatives' graves.


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## Ruth n Jersey (May 24, 2016)

Guitarist said:


> I love that photo!  I had a bike sort of like that one when I was maybe about the same age.  What kind was yours? Was it blue?
> 
> I like the description of your town's observance of Memorial Day.  I grew up in a city, don't remember anything about Memorial Day other than that it was the last day of school and the first day the pool was open, so that was where we were.


I don't remember the make of that bike but it was blue. Did you have a blue one?


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## Guitarist (May 24, 2016)

Yes. Mine was a blue Murray.  First of four, but the only blue one.   I have a picture of it but no way to scan and post.  

It looked kind of like this one:






I used to think it was interesting that blue was for boys and pink for girls, except with bikes.  I did have one friend who had a sort of pink bike, a Schwinn.  Sort of mauve.

To get back to the thread topic, there's a commercial on TV today about "celebrating" Memorial Day.  To me it's an observance rather than a celebration.  Because it is, after all, a memorial.

What do you think?


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## Butterfly (May 24, 2016)

Guitarist said:


> Yes. Mine was a blue Murray.  First of four, but the only blue one.   I have a picture of it but no way to scan and post.
> 
> It looked kind of like this one:
> 
> ...



I agree that it is most if all an observance -- "lest we forget" -- and a remembrance of all those who fought and died for our country.


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