Many city traditions and annual plans have been put on hold due to the Coronavirus, and everyone has been trying to accommodate and change plans to stay safe. Memorial Day weekend is normally filled with parties, barbeques, and lake trips, but much of that has been put on hold this year.
One thing everyone knows about Memorial Day weekend is the local pools opening, according to Grosse Pointe Park pool lifeguard Nia Rahmaan ‘21.
“Obviously the public pools wont be opening this year, which is crazy because for a lot of people that marks the beginning of summer and nice weather,” Rahmaan said.
Many Grosse Pointers have homes or love to travel Up North on this weekend especially, a tradition of many years that is not possible to some due to Coronavirus risks, according to Lauren Petrouleas ‘21.
“Me and my family have been going to our cottage over Memorial Day for as long as I remember,” Petrouleaus said.
Many annual celebrations in Grosse Pointe were also cancelled, some for the first time in the last 10 years in order to assure the safety of everyone. Local traditions like the Grosse Pointe Memorial Day Service that would have taken place at the War Memorial were canceled this year, according Bridget Keane ‘20.
“Memorial Day weekend has always been about spending time with those you are close with, but also remembering what the holiday means,” Keane said. “It was hard to do that this year since most celebrations were cancelled.”
Many people have made the best out of the unfortunate situation this year, and many memorials, like the War Memorial service, were done virtually this year, according to Keane.
“I think a lot of people this year just did something small with the people they have been quarantined with, or just keeping the celebrations under 10 people,” Keane said.
Due to travelling and larger gatherings being prevented this year, many makeshift and creative ways to celebrate had to be created.
“Without the option to go to a second home, we just had a small barbeque this year,” Petrouleas said. “It wasn’t the same, but everyone has to compromise during this time.”
The luxury of living on a lake has offered a lot of opportunities to still safely gather and spend time outside, according to Rahmaan.
“Even though the pools didn’t open, I think everyone still wanted to be outside,”rahmaan said. “We’re very lucky that she [Governor Whittmer] allowed people to boat and enjoy the lake.”
Coronavirus has affected everyone’s lives in different ways, and most people are still trying to enjoy the warmer weather while still practicing social distancing, according to Keane.
“Back when the lockdown just started, I never would have thought it would affect as far into the year as late May,” Keane said. “We’re all just trying to find a way to make the best of this time of the year.”