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Memorial Day: What the Holiday Means

In honor of Memorial Day, The Daily Beast is collecting letters, photographs, tweets, and videos about what the holiday means to you. Whether that’s a picnic with family or moments of silence for our fallen vets—we want to hear from you. Submission instructions below.

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Army Spc. Justin Immerso reaches for a flag at Arlington National Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day, in Arlington, Va., Thursday, May 26, 2011. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP Photo)

What does Memorial Day mean to you?

On Monday, May 30, Americans will gather in parks, yards, beaches, veteran’s halls, Arlington National Cemetery, and elsewhere to commemorate U.S. soldiers. For some, this means a trip to Grandpa’s grave. For others, it’s simply fireworks in the park. And for a growing number of families, with the country at war in Iraq and Afghanistan for 10 years, it means honoring the next generation of veterans.

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To help craft a vivid picture of how Americans celebrate Memorial Day, The Daily Beast wants YOUR stories, photographs, tweets, and videos. What does the holiday truly mean to you? Have you lost a loved one in the Afghanistan/Iraq Wars? Will you take a moment from a backyard BBQ to remember a grandfather who fought in World War 2? Whatever it is, we want to hear it.

If you’d like us to publish your Memorial Day Diary, send an email to MemorialBeast@gmail.com, and include your name, location, and a few quick thoughts about the holiday’s significance in your life. Please specify if you’d like to remain anonymous. If you use Facebook, snap a photo and tag The Daily Beast or @Newsweek—or leave a brief note on our wall. On Twitter, simply tweet w/ hashtag #mymemorialday. Those will show up in the widget below.

On Monday, we’ll publish a collection of your submissions on The Daily Beast.

From Twitter: What’s Memorial Day mean to you? Tell us with #mymemorialday.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.