At Peoples Flower Shops, our professional florists remember and honor our nation’s fallen soldiers by creating elegantly patriotic floral designs for Memorial Day ceremonies and services. Observed on the last Monday of May each year, Memorial Day signifies much more than just a long weekend; the holiday marks a time nationally set aside to remember and honor those soldiers who have given their lives in service of the country.

The act of decorating a soldier’s grave with memorials and flowers dates back to the beginning of recorded history, but our modern Memorial Day observances first commenced shortly after the American Civil War, when women, in both the north and the south, began commemorating and honoring fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers. In 1865, the Grand Army of the Republic’s General John A. Logan stated in a proclamation that Decoration Day would be celebrated across the United States on May 30th, a day which marked the anniversary of no battle and on which flowers would be abundant. This day was set aside to honor the nation’s soldiers who had died during war. Over time, the holiday was gradually referred to as Memorial Day rather than Decoration Day, and in 1967 its name was officially changed. An echo of the past, during modern Memorial Day observances the graves of national military cemeteries are decorated with flags.

Patriotic Grave Spray

On Memorial Day, families and communities honor and remember fallen soldiers with flag ceremonies, speeches, parades, and by decorating their graves with memorials, photos, and patriotic floral bouquets. Similar to our Patriotic Salute arrangement, Memorial Day bouquets proudly display our nation’s colors, red, white, and blue with flowers like carnations, roses, daisies, lilies, and delphinium. These bouquets also incorporate patriotic ribbon, picks, and vases.

This Memorial Day, our expert florists at Peoples Flower Shops can help you select a beautifully patriotic floral design in honor and memory of a fallen soldier from your community.