The long-awaited holiday weekend has come and gone. Memorial Day, commonly known as a three-day weekend to fill the cooler with beer and go to the beach, is seemingly a celebration of the start of summer.

The real reason for the holiday is much less of a celebration. It is a day to honor fallen military men and women. This is not to be confused with Veterans’ Day – which is a day to acknowledge all service members, living and deceased. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and was a day set aside to decorate the graves of veterans with wreaths and flowers.

In modern times, Memorial Day décor dons plenty of red, white and blue, but lacks the same honor as visiting fallen warriors and paying your respects. There are ways to honor these men and women. Will you take a moment to remember?

Here are some ways to honor and support veterans and families on Memorial Day:

1. Take part in the National Moment of Remembrance, which takes place each Memorial Day at 3 p.m. for one minute.

2. Visit a memorial for fallen service members. You may leave flowers or American flags or just pay your respects.

3. Thank the families of those who have lost a service member. Remember to thank them for both their veterans’ sacrifice, as well as their own.

4. If you have a flag, then you might lower it to half-staff. On Memorial Day, flags are lowered to half-staff at sunrise, and then raised at noon. Learn how to correctly fly an American flag here.

5. Ask a veteran to tell you about what it was like to serve, and thank them for the sacrifices they have made.

6. Donate to an organization like the USO, which supports active duty military as well as their families or the National Military Family Association, which helps military families in various aspects.

7. Lastly, remember the reason for the holiday throughout your weekend.