Memorial Day: Recipes and Traditions

Memorial Day parade
Image by Lori.D

In the United States, Memorial Day is a national holiday celebrating all those who have died in the nation’s wars or while in the military. The holiday takes place on the last Monday in May, and the long weekend marks the unofficial start of summer for Americans.

When the holiday was first recognized, shortly after the American Civil War, it was known as Decoration Day. Over time people began calling it Memorial Day instead, and by the mid-20th century, the switch was complete.

A long tradition of family picnics in late spring predates Memorial Day, especially in the South. Favorite memorial day picnic dishes include grilled hamburgers, seasonal vegetables, potato salad and strawberry shortcake.

Many families also visit the gravesites of family and friends who are gone and lay flowers or other mementos. Small-town Memorial Day parades with a strong veteran element are a long-standing American tradition, The famous Indianapolis 500 car race is run every Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day Recipes

Try these recipes for a Memorial Day backyard barbecue or for munching as you watch the parade go by.

Hamburgers 
(American grilled beef patty sandwiches)

Kartoffelsalat 
(German potato salad)

Strawberry Shortcake 
(American strawberries with a sweet biscuit)

Gefüllte Eier 
(German deviled, stuffed eggs appetizer)

Dolmathes 
(Greek grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat)

Cedar Plank Salmon 
(Canadian salmon grill-roasted on aromatic wood)

Elotes Asados 
(Mexican roast corn on the cob)

Picado de Rábano 
(Guatemalan radish salad)

Sangría 
(Spanish fruited wine)

Southern Fried Chicken 
(American fried chicken with a crispy crust)

Sweet Coleslaw 
((American cabbage salad)

Jerk Chicken 
(Jamaican spicy grilled chicken)

North Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe 
(American Southern barbecue pork sandwich)

Cowboy Beans 
(American Tex-Mex beans with ground beef)

Memphis Barbecue Ribs 
(American Southern-Soul slow-cooked pork ribs)

Lemonade 
(American lemon beverage)

Potato Salad 
(American potatoes with mayonnaise)

Tabaka 
(Georgian chicken under a brick)

Satay Ayam 
(Indonesian chicken skewers with peanut sauce)

Hawaiian Kalbi Ribs 
(Hawaiian-American barbecued beef short ribs)

Macaroni Salad 
(Hawaiian-American pasta salad side dish)

Hummus bi Tahina 
(Middle Eastern chickpea and sesame dip)

Patates Salatası 
(Turkish potato salad)

Shashlik 
(Central Asian grilled skewered lamb)

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