Rural Southern Tradition

Decoration Day

If you were raised in the rural South in the 1950's and before, then you have experienced Decoration Day. Everyone dressed in their Sunday best and after church, the picnic baskets were carried over to the wooden tables, all placed in a long row under the shade trees. Colorful tableclothes were placed on the tables and the most wonderful home cooked food was spread out for all to enjoy. Southern fried chicken and Southern fried chicken, mashed potatos, fried okra, green beans....the food list went on and on....and the very best homemade cakes and pies you have evah put in your mouth! My favorite was always chocolate cake and chocolate pie.

This was the time of the year, and still is, to place beautiful flowers on the graves of your beloved family members who have journeyed on. Yes, it was a Southern event...a place to see and be seen. Why, everybody and their third cousin was there and all those relatives that moved off up North came home. Folks came from far and wide.

Shortly after noon, the gospel music would start. The adults sat in lawn chairs and visited with family and friends while all of us children scampered around playing games like hopscotch, jump rope, bob jacks or red rover. What wonderful memories of yesteryear and my childhood in the 1950's.

We still place new flowers on the graves, and Decoration Day is still the third Sunday in May, however, it is no longer such an event as in my childhood. The flowers above are for my dad's headstone, continuing the tradition.

On the day before Decoration Day, I carried my flowers over to the old family cemetary. There are many very old headstones there and this one caught my eye. A cemetary can tell such a history.

Just another Southern Sunday tradition in the old South....sitting on Grandmother's (Yaya's) front porch after eating fried chicken. Actually, I didn't cook it because we ate out. Times have certainly changed, haven't they?


Pretty little Gracie looking for wild flowers and four leaf clover.

Pretty pretty wild flowers....and oh, the scent of honeysuckle. She got her first taste of honeysuckle juice.

" And more flowers, Yaya"........The grandangels have also learned to say....."Do you have any chocolate cake, Yaya"?

Aunt Bobbie's Chocolate Cake

2 C. sugar

2 C. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick butter

1/2 C shortening

4 Tbsp. cocoa

1 C. water

1/2 C. buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. powdered cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Icing...

1 stick butter

4 Tbsp. cocoa

6 Tbsp. milk

1 box confectioners sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. chopped nuts

Sift together in large bowl the sugar, flour, and salt. In saucepan place butter, shortening, cocoa and water. Bring to rapid boil and pour over flour mixture; stir well. Add, mixing by hand, the remaining ingredients. Batter will be quite thin. Pour in greased 16 x 11 inch pan, or two smaller pans and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Icing....combine butter, cocoa and milk. Bring to a rapid boil. remove from heat and add confectioners sugar, vanilla and nuts. Beat well. Spread icing over cake in pan while hot. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Makes 32 two-inch squares.

A few rambling thoughts to ponder...

Graceful values of the old South.....Don't separate your words you speake from the life you live.....Being kind is more important than being right.....A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks, bless your heart.....

*****Yaya*****