Happy Memorial Day? Hmmm… maybe not

As is usual, I posted my daily Quote of the Day on my Facebook page Monday (a thoughtful quote on freedom by our former president, Ronald Regan) and at the end, wished everyone a Happy Memorial Day. After all, it was a holiday and that is what you do on holidays, isn’t it? Then a reader and long-time friend of mine responded and made me think. (That is one of my favorite things about my readers!) 

Is it appropriate to wish others a “Happy” Memorial Day?

Luck o’ the Irish to ye!

Today everybody’s Irish and many will be celebrating by wearing green, eating traditional Irish dishes like corned beef and cabbage, and drinking green beer. There will parades, traditional Irish music, and other activities in honor of all things Irish.

But what does the holiday really mean? Why is it a holiday in the first place?