The meaning of Memorial Day … Heading into Memorial Day, a new survey sheds a very disappointing light on how little Americans actually know about the holiday -- specifically why we celebrate it. The USAA survey found that only 46% of respondents knew that Memorial Day is for honoring military service members who lost their lives in military conflict. 45% of people also believe the appropriate way to observe the holiday is to wish a veteran a "Happy Memorial Day" or thank them for their service.
Memorial Day plans … A lot of Americans are hoping for nice weather this weekend – because most of us have plans to celebrate Memorial Day. According to a poll, nearly 60% say they have plans, 57% of which will involve chilling with family and friends. 52% say they will be at a barbecue or cookout. The poll also found that Gen Xers and Boomers are more likely to celebrate Memorial Day than younger generations. Here are some other interesting findings:
- Not surprisingly, food will top shopping lists this weekend, followed by alcoholic beverages – beer being the most popular.
- 68% of shoppers plan to spend under $100 on their holiday supplies, but 23% expect to spend more this year than they did last year.
- Many items see a spike in sales in the week leading up to Memorial Day including beer (19%), insect repellent (130%), pool tools & accessories (103%), canopies & shelters (89%), grills (63%), patio chairs (56%), and sunscreen (41%).
Are you going to a wedding this weekend? Apparently, that’s borderline rude of the newlyweds. These are the rudest days to get married (ranked from borderline rude to absolutely rude): Memorial Day (borderline rude), Labor Day (pretty rude), July 4th Weekend (super rude), Thanksgiving (almost rudest), and Christmas (absolute rudest).
Hot dogs don't have to be bad for you … Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and it's also the start of hot dog season, which the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council considers to run from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Over that time, Americans eat about 7 billion hot dogs, which works out to about 818 hot dogs per second.
Although hot dogs aren't exactly known for being good for you, dieticians say they're also not bad – as long as you only eat them occasionally as a treat. Processed meats and nitrates can cause some real health problems, so you want to enjoy them sparingly. But there are ways to make them a little healthier. First off, a 100% all-beef hot dog is the way to go because they contain fewer additives. You can also add some healthy vegetable-based toppings such as sauerkraut, onions and kimchi. Even mustard is a great condiment as it is low in calories, fat and sugar, but also packed with selenium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Speaking of hot dogs …
Which cities are the most hot dog-lovin’? According the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Los Angeles residents consume more hot dogs than any other city (about 30 million pounds), beating out New York and Dallas. Here are the top hot dog consuming cities:
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Dallas
- Chicago
- Boston
- Houston
- Philadelphia
- Miami
- Washington, DC
- Phoenix
Don’t forget the burgers … 52% of Americans plan to barbecue over Memorial Day weekend, and sales of meat for the weekend will be about $1.3 billion.
And because 75% of those polled said they love burgers, there will be lots of burgers on those BBQs. When it comes to how we like them cooked, a YouGov survey found that 40% prefer their burgers well-done, 20% like them cooked medium-well, 17% said medium, and 12% like them medium rare. Then there were the 2% of brave souls who like their burgers rare.
Women are more likely to prefer their burgers well-done (47%) compared to men (33%).
And how are we topping those burgers? According to the survey, these are Americans favorite burger toppings and condiments:
- Cheese – 74%
- Ketchup – 65%
- Lettuce – 64%
- Tomatoes – 58%
- Onions – 57%
- Pickles – 54%
- Mustard – 52%
- Bacon – 45%
- Mayo – 43%
- Mushrooms – 23%
- Fries – 20%
- Avocado – 19%
- Relish – 13%
- Eggs – 12%
- Hot sauce – 10%
- Ranch dressing – 8%
- Thousand Island – 8%
- Other – 2%
- Nothing – 2%
Are you in the "other" category? What weird topping do you put on your burger?
Does your workplace offer Summer Fridays? Maybe they should. A survey found that a lucky 60% of respondents said they work a shorter day on Friday during the summer -- and a few even luckier ones get to take the day off altogether between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 80% of those polled say they have better work vibes Monday through Thursday knowing they have the Summer Friday perk. 73% say they're more productive on the clock when the weather is nicer outside.
Top Memorial Day destinations … If you're looking to plan a last-minute trip out of town for the holiday weekend and need a destination, Las Vegas-based tour company Max Tour has ranked the most popular getaways for Memorial Day, and state parks seem to be the way to go. Number-one on the list is First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, which offers scenic beachfront and hiking trails. Number-two is the Cape Cod National Seashore, followed by St. Simons Island, Georgia; Arlington National Cemetery; and Clearwater Beach, Florida. Here are the Top 10:
- First Landing State Park – Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Cape Code National Seashore – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
- St. Simons Island Beaches – St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Arlington National Cemetery – Arlington, Virginia
- Clearwater Beach– Clearwater, Florida
- Island Beach State Park, Berkeley Township, New Jersey
- San Antonio River Walk – San Antonio, Texas
- Ocean City Boardwalk – Ocean City, New Jersey
- Outer Banks Beaches – Outer Banks, North Carolina
- Liberty State Park – Jersey City, New Jersey