Veterans Day is Monday, the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The actual day is in remembrance of Armistice Day, or the day in 1918 when armistice went into effect with Germany and effectively ended what at the time was known as, “The Great War” (the name World War I didn’t arise until the second World War broke out in the late 1930s and ended in 1945).

Yet as we approach the heart of the American holiday season – from Halloween through Thanksgiving to Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and New Years – where does Veterans Day fall on this continuum? What does it mean to us? What does it mean to our children? Do we even stop to think about it at all – or to help them understand what it means “to serve”?

Are children taught its significance? Do they know the difference between it and, say, Memorial Day, which honors those Americans who died during combat, as opposed to those who served and returned home (or veterans)? Sure, some will get the day off from school – like in Broward County, where public schools and classes at Broward College and Florida Atlantic University will be closed for the day.

But how can we ensure our children know why they’re getting a day off school or why the television will carry images of soldiers and flags? Here are a few activities, websites and suggestions from the Internet…

– The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs

– Celebrate Veteran’s Day with your Children from Military.com

– Lesson plans from Scholastic.com

– Hear from a female veteran and wounded combat photographer who tells of her memories from the front lines of combat and a veteran’s life, courtesy USAA. As she says, “Every generation of veteran is heroic, steadfast, extraordinary people, and each and every one of them are deserving of being honored and thanked for all they’ve done for our country.”

In the image above, according to Wikipedia, “Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old World War I veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.”

So as we honor those who served – and those who continue to serve us in combat throughout the world – let’s not forget to tell our children what their service means to our freedom and our way of life.