By 1808Delaware
At noon this Saturday, Oak Grove Cemetery will take on a special stillness as volunteers gather for National Wreaths Across America Day. The event has become a December ritual here in Delaware, a pause in the rush of the season to honor the men and women who served.
How a Simple Gesture Became a National Tradition
What began in 1992 with a handful of surplus wreaths placed at Arlington has evolved into one of the country’s most wide-reaching acts of remembrance. Morrill Worcester, the Maine wreath maker who started it, was moved by a childhood visit to Arlington and decided to send his extra wreaths there. A photograph taken in 2005 of those wreaths against white headstones spread quickly, inspiring communities across the nation.
By 2006, more than 750 sites took part. Today, over 5,200 cemeteries, memorials, and military sites participate, with more than 2 million balsam wreaths placed each year. Congress formally recognized the day in 2008, acknowledging its role not just in honoring veterans but in teaching younger generations why their service matters.
What to Expect This Saturday
The ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery begins at 12:00 PM. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, and no sign-up is needed. The process is simple: pick up a wreath, walk to a headstone, place it with care, and speak the veteran’s name aloud. That small act of recognition is the heart of the tradition.
Children often help, families return year after year, and civic groups join in. The pace is unhurried. People move across the grounds with a quiet purpose, wreaths in hand, taking a moment to reflect before moving on to the next name.
Why It Matters
Wreaths Across America is not about ceremony for its own sake. It offers a chance to face the past with gratitude, and to remind ourselves that freedom and security come from real people who once stood where we stand today. The wreaths are temporary. The gesture is not.
If You Go
Saturday, December 13
12:00 PM
Oak Grove Cemetery, Delaware
Anyone who wants to help honor local veterans is welcome to join with a respectful spirit and a few minutes to give. It’s a way for Delaware to come together and offer something simple and sincere: remembrance.
