What Is Wreaths Across America?

Wreaths Across America is a national holiday, the mission of which is to “Remember, Honor, and Teach.” On a designated day in December, visitors of Arlington National Cemetery and more than 1,000 other cemeteries all over the country lay wreaths on the tombstones or gravesites of fallen military veterans.

We do this to show our love and gratitude for the veterans and always retain in remembrance what was sacrificed for us and our freedoms. The theme of this year’s Wreaths Across America is “Say Their Names;” the official Wreaths Across America website encourages all who participate in this year’s proceedings to speak aloud the name of the veteran they’re honoring as they lay their wreath. The name becomes an extra gesture of remembrance.

How Did Wreaths Across America Start?

Wreaths Across America was first conceived in 1992 by Morrill Worcester. As the owner of a wreath company in Harrington, Maine, Worcester was trying to decide what to do with the extra wreaths he had left over from the holiday season. It was then that he remembered visiting Arlington National Cemetery as a young boy.

With the help of several volunteers, Worcester transported the surplus wreaths to a section of Arlington and had them laid on the tombs of the fallen soldiers. It became a tradition, and years later in 2007, Worcester founded the Wreaths Across America non-profit. Now this special ceremony is carried out by individuals and families in all 50 states.

What Can I Do for Wreaths Across America?

Want to get involved in this day of remembrance? You can start by visiting the Wreaths Across America website. There are many ways you can help this great cause go forward, such as:

• Sponsoring a wreath
• Volunteering at an event
• Donating to a local fundraiser (or starting one yourself)
• Adding a new cemetery to the event map
• Offering transportation services (such as trucking)
• Sharing your wreath-laying experience mission on social media, using hashtags such as #WAA2016 and #SayTheirNames to help the message spread

Until this year, wreath-laying took place nationally on the second Saturday in December, but the designated day has recently been changed to be the third Saturday instead. Here is a list of future Wreaths Across America dates for your reference, so you can plan ahead and not miss a single one:

• 2019 - December 21
• 2020 - December 19

Honor the Fallen by Helping the Living

Many of us here at Low VA Rates have family members who have served or are currently serving in the United States military, so we look forward to participating in Wreaths Across America and speaking the names of the veterans we’ve known and loved over the years.

We invite all our followers and clients to do the same, and to help the Wreaths Across America mission grow and touch even more lives.

About Us

At Low VA Rates, we've dedicated a lot to helping veterans and their loved ones find affordable mortgages. For questions about getting started or to find out whether you qualify, give us a call at 866-569-8272.