‘Memorial Day Declares: The Folk Religion of the US Is Pleasure and Mammon’

 

This Memorial Day we will hear the high-sounding phrases we have heard in the past, that we are stopping the normal routine of life to honor all the US soldiers who have died fighting in wars.  However, when one looks at how the peoples of the States will actually be spending the Memorial Day holiday, the honoring of fallen soldiers is about the furthest thing from the minds of very many of them.  The news stories about Memorial Day reveal where their focus and interests lie:

First, hitting the road.  This is one of the most common stories one runs across, how many millions will be driving, flying, etc., to some faraway locale:

AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period* from Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26. This year’s domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record. The previous record was set back in 2005 with 44 million people. Despite concerns over rising prices, many Americans say they’re taking advantage of the long holiday weekend to spend time with loved ones, even if the trips are closer to home.

 

“Memorial Day weekend getaways don’t have to be extravagant and costly,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends. Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because many people have an extra day off work and students are off from school.”

Second, movies.  After travelling, the focus is often on the rollout of Hollywood’s summer blockbusters, and this year’s selections are bigger and more Trumptastic than ever:

The Memorial Day box office is on fire.

 

Disney’s live-action redo of Lilo & Stitch and Tom Cruise‘s final Mission: Impossible movie, from Paramount and Skydance, fueled the biggest start-of-summer holiday weekend of all time, based on Sunday estimates. Lilo & Stitch blew away all expectations with a record-smashing, four-day domestic debut of $183 million, and a jaw-dropping $341.7 million globally, while Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning opened to a series-best $77 million domestically and $190 million worldwide. The domestic numbers includes a three-day weekend tally of $145.5 million for Lilo, and $63 million for Final Reckoning.

Third, spending money.  Consumerism is the final piece that completes the Memorial Day celebrations:

While Memorial Day sales tend to be focused on big-ticket purchases like furniture and appliances, the top category consumers say they’ll shop is food/beverage, which correlates with hosting – and a high likelihood of shopping at grocery and big box stores. Eating at a restaurant or bar came in second, and clothing purchases in third, which tracks with Memorial Day serving as the gateway to summer (and a weekend for summer prep).

 

Top Memorial Day weekend purchases:

 

·         Food/beverages for a cookout, 34%

·         Eating out at a restaurant or bar, 19%

·         Clothing, including shoes and accessories, 17%

·         Home improvement and gardening, 17%

·         American flags or patriotic decorations, 15%

·         Home goods/décor (e.g., plates, pillows, art), 13%

·         Party decorations and serving ware, 10%

·         Electronics (e.g., laptop, smartphone, smart watch), 10%

·         Pool or beach gear (e.g., swimsuits, towels, floats), 10%

·         Tickets to an event or festival, 10%

 

Our survey also revealed that more shoppers are planning to shop Memorial Day weekend sales this year, with 36% (up 18% vs. 2024) of consumers planning to shop the sales and spend an average of $289 (-$8 vs 2024).

To sum up:  For the average person in the United States the meaning of Memorial Day is travelling to a strange new place to which he has no roots so he can watch a Mission: Impossible movie marathon on one screen while buying an IKEA couch on another and taking a bite out of a brontosaurus-sized burger smothered in bacon and sausage besides.

Voilà!  Holiday perfection!

With such misguided goals that are bereft of any meaningful spiritual aspects, it is no wonder that many in the States have mixed feelings about Memorial Day:

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The rest is at https://orthodoxreflections.com/memorial-day-declares-the-folk-religion-of-the-us-is-pleasure-and-mammon/.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!