Why Do We Celebrate Veterans Day On The 11th?
Do you ever wonder why we celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th and why it never changes? It’s because World War I ended on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the eleventh hour.
If you see someone selling poppies today, remember to always wear the poppy on your right side. The red of the poppy represents the blood of those who gave their lives, the black represents to the mourning of those that didn’t have their loved one return home and the green leaf represents the grass and the crops growing and future prosperity after the war destroyed so much. The leaf should be positioned at 11 o’clock to represent the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Veterans Day Family Traditions
My grandfather served as a Marine in World War II and The Korean War and he used to worry that as his generation fades away the younger generations won’t know or understand why we do the things we do to commemorate our fallen soldiers. In the years since he passed away, I’ve seen his fears realized. More and more we go through the motions, but forget the reasons behind the things that we’re doing.
I grew up knowing my dad had been a Marine and being very proud of his service to our country. It wasn’t until he passed away from cancer in 2006 however, and the young Marine in dress blues looked me directly in the eye and thanked me for my father’s service while handing me the flag that had been draped across his casket that I truly understood what it means to be the daughter of a Marine. There is a finality and a solemnity to the ceremony of a military funeral that sets in at that moment and never really leaves you.
The Veterans Day Is For Every Generation
My younger brother served in the Army in Afghanistan and my nephew is currently serving, as he says “big gun, go pew pew” in the artillery division. The tradition of service to our country is strong in my family. As is our ridiculous sense of humor.
If you see a serviceman or woman, thank them for their service, yes, but also take a moment to really stop and think about what they put on the line for the freedom and liberty you enjoy every day. Don’t let it be a platitude, understand the very real loss behind every poppy you see today and say a thank you to the ones who made it back home.
