For High Schoolers in New Jersey, Memorial Day is no longer viewed as just a day of remembrance. To many students, it signifies a mass migration to the Jersey Shore, extra days off from school and the unofficial start of summer. While this behavior is normalized in New Jersey, such a large-scale shore culture is far less common in most of the country.
With the exception of some coastal states, the vast majority of the country’s idea of celebrating Memorial Day is a tight-knit barbeque at most. Spending time visiting cemeteries and memorials, placing American flags on graves and holding parades are most common. People take this holiday as a way to spend some extra time with their loved ones while paying a tribute to the veterans at rest. Memorial Day isn’t necessarily a huge hassle, or at least it’s not supposed to be; it’s a time to honor those who have died in the line of duty. That was until New Jersey gave Memorial Day a culture of its own.
People in New Jersey spend the entirety of May discussing their “Mem-weekend” plans and searching for beach houses. A small get together is uncommon and instead the Garden State Parkway is flooded with part-time Jersey Shore residents. Shore towns depend on Memorial Day weekend as one of their main sources of income, before summer actually starts. Boardwalks, stores and restaurants all use Memorial Day to mark their grand opening for the summer and up to 20% of their profits are made just from this extended weekend alone.
While no one can deny the fact that a much needed beach vacation is necessary after the cold weather, “Mem-weekend” in Jersey continues to remove the memorialization from Memorial Day. Conversations about the veterans who died for our country become rarer each year. The focus has drastically shifted away from the true meaning and is now associated with celebration and vacation instead. Memorial Day is not meant to be a celebration, it is meant to be a day of respect.
Now why do individuals in New Jersey feel such a need to use Memorial Day weekend as a beach getaway? One reason could be the eternal wait we have until summer can finally begin. While southern states’ school year comes to an end as May rolls around, New Jersey residents still have another month of tests, lectures and endless homework. So, they take every opportunity they can to have a break and are willing to use any holiday possible as an excuse for a vacation. This cycle continues as students go to college, using the weekend as a chance to reunite with their friends from home and put their life on pause for a weekend.
No matter if your Memorial Day is spent at the Jersey Shore or at home with family, you can continue to honor fallen veterans. Participating in a local parade, observing the national moment of remembrance at 3 p.m. or placing flags around cemeteries are all alternative ways to pay your respect.
While it may seem good in theory, don’t wish someone a happy Memorial Day. This holiday is meant to be a solemn day of remembrance, not of celebration. Take into account the many people who lost a beloved family member or friend and instead, take a moment to remember our heroes and thank those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Although enjoying Memorial Day weekend at the beach feels like the essential break we all deserve, it is important to acknowledge the real reason behind it.
