Veteran's Day

What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.

On Nov 13, 9:29 am, Beliavsky wrote:
What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.

For starters, we call it Armistice Day, and discuss how the signing of
the Armistice is commemorated in other WWI Allied countries.

We sometimes participate in the local commemoration services in town.
Failing that, as all of us were engaged in doing something on Sunday
at 11, we walked the graves in the town cemetery yesterday, starting
at the Revolutionary War graves, moving to the Civil War graves, the
Civil War monument and the Underground Railroad supporter graves, and
talked about war, conflict in general, and what we as a family could
do to commemorate veterans. DD2 is making cards at preschool for
people at Walter Reed, and DD1 and I are packing a box for Anysoldier
for Iraq.

Sadly, I have friends who ask, 'what day is Veterans' Day?'

Caledonia

On Nov 13, 5:57 pm, Caledonia wrote:
On Nov 13, 9:29 am, Beliavsky wrote:

What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.

For starters, we call it Armistice Day, and discuss how the signing of
the Armistice is commemorated in other WWI Allied countries.

Yikes, I had no idea that it was related to the end of World War 1 .
Wikipedia is informative. Thanks for your reply.

The armistice was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th
month of the year. The 11s were important in part because the "11th
hour" is an expression meaning "at the very last minute". They were
running out of time ... In our house, we recall that every year.

Both kids had school on Veteran's Day. Our 10-year old had a soldier
recently returned from Iraq talk to them about her experiences there.
(She happens to be a mom at the school, as far as I could figure out.)
My son was impressed by how hard it is to be a soldier, and how scary.
My son also was asked to play the Star Spangled Banner at a special
morning assembly.


--Beth Kevles
-THE-COM-HERE
http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the GMAIL one if you would
like me to reply.

On Nov 13, 8:29 am, Beliavsky wrote:
What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.

You are getting good advice here. One thing i would like to add is
that you should tone down the brutality of war and the significance of
the soldiers' sacrifice based on the age and nature of the kid. My
child saw a dog in the front yard of a house without the owner nearby
and worried for a couple of days that the poor dog will end up at the
pound. Kids have vivid imagination.

What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.
For starters, we call it Armistice Day, and discuss how the signing of
the Armistice is commemorated in other WWI Allied countries.

Yikes, I had no idea that it was related to the end of World War 1 .
Wikipedia is informative. Thanks for your reply.

probably better find this kind of thing out before planning how you talk
about it with you children

I don't remember my parents saying anything about it, though I always
knew 11/11 was the end of the first world war, as it was my mum's
birthday. I think it's much bigger in UK - though the day itself is not
a holiday, the nearest Sunday to it is Rememberance Sunday and most
things happen then, the 11th would be a normal work day, but everyone
stops for 2 minutes silence at 11am. There is also poppies - The British
Legion makes paper poppies and gives them out like you would a sticker
or badge with a charity collection, last year 36 million were made and
used - that's only the paper ones pinned on your lapel, poppies are also
used in a lot of other ways, wreathes etc. there will be a ceremony at
almost every memorial (and there are a lot of them), laying a wreath.
All of which adds up to making it fairly impossible not to know what's
going on and what is being remembered from a very young age. The idea of
using poppies came from a poem by John McCrae, called "In Flanders
Fields",
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/rememb...rs_field.shtml.

Maybe making poppies, or buying live ones would be a good route into
talking about it.

Anne

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
. ..

What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.
For starters, we call it Armistice Day, and discuss how the signing of
the Armistice is commemorated in other WWI Allied countries.

Yikes, I had no idea that it was related to the end of World War 1 .
Wikipedia is informative. Thanks for your reply.

probably better find this kind of thing out before planning how you talk
about it with you children

I don't remember my parents saying anything about it, though I always knew
11/11 was the end of the first world war, as it was my mum's birthday. I
think it's much bigger in UK - though the day itself is not a holiday, the
nearest Sunday to it is Rememberance Sunday and most things happen then,
the 11th would be a normal work day, but everyone stops for 2 minutes
silence at 11am. There is also poppies - The British Legion makes paper
poppies and gives them out like you would a sticker or badge with a
charity collection, last year 36 million were made and used - that's only
the paper ones pinned on your lapel, poppies are also used in a lot of
other ways, wreathes etc. there will be a ceremony at almost every
memorial (and there are a lot of them), laying a wreath. All of which adds
up to making it fairly impossible not to know what's going on and what is
being remembered from a very young age. The idea of using poppies came
from a poem by John McCrae, called "In Flanders Fields",
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/rememb...rs_field.shtml.

Maybe making poppies, or buying live ones would be a good route into
talking about it.

Anne

My mother would always take us to the small cemetary where her stepdad was
buried. There are graves dating back to the American Revolution there, and
graves of soldiers from all the subsequent wars . A local VFW group would
have a ceremony and lay wreaths on the graves.

In article . com,
Beliavsky wrote:

What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.

Depends on how your local community commemorates such days. Remembrance Day
(as we call it) isn't as emphasised here as Anzac Day, though our Returned
Services Clubs all conduct services and public servants are asked to keep the
minute's silence if it is a working day.

We were at church, at morning tea, so our minister asked for a short silence
and prayed an appropriate prayer.

Near Anzac Day, our schools all hold remembrance services, which usually
include a reading of 'For the Fallen' and (if any trumpeters are present) the
playing of the Last Post. Anzac Day is a public holiday here and we always
watch the march on TV. We look for DH's grandfather's banner (he served in
WW2.) If you have any family stories related to war experiences, these are
the times to tell them. Unfortunately DH's grandfather's story is a terrible
one (he was in Gull Force on Ambon, and suffered from its effects all his
life) and we have not told the boys about it.

I also remember being taught at school about the rifle trick used during the
Gallipoli evacuation and the story of Simpson and his donkey. These events
won't mean much to people beyond Australia and New Zealand, but you will have
your own legends.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/

In article om,
Beliavsky wrote:

Yikes, I had no idea that it was related to the end of World War 1 .

boggle What else would it be for?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/

Anne Rogers wrote:

What do people do with their kids to commemorate Veteran's Day (a U.S.
holiday which just passed)? Maybe in 2 years I will start trying to
teach my kids about the meanings of such holidays.

For starters, we call it Armistice Day, and discuss how the signing of
the Armistice is commemorated in other WWI Allied countries.


Yikes, I had no idea that it was related to the end of World War 1 .
Wikipedia is informative. Thanks for your reply.


probably better find this kind of thing out before planning how you talk
about it with you children

I don't remember my parents saying anything about it, though I always
knew 11/11 was the end of the first world war, as it was my mum's
birthday. I think it's much bigger in UK - though the day itself is not
a holiday, the nearest Sunday to it is Rememberance Sunday and most
things happen then, the 11th would be a normal work day, but everyone
stops for 2 minutes silence at 11am. There is also poppies - The British
Legion makes paper poppies and gives them out like you would a sticker
or badge with a charity collection, last year 36 million were made and
used - that's only the paper ones pinned on your lapel, poppies are also
used in a lot of other ways, wreathes etc. there will be a ceremony at
almost every memorial (and there are a lot of them), laying a wreath.
All of which adds up to making it fairly impossible not to know what's
going on and what is being remembered from a very young age. The idea of
using poppies came from a poem by John McCrae, called "In Flanders
Fields",
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/rememb...rs_field.shtml.

Maybe making poppies, or buying live ones would be a good route into
talking about it.

Anne

Handing out poppies on Veteran's Day used to be common in the U.S. -
maybe still is, for all I know.

Clisby