Joey & Carla Link
November 11, 2026
When I was a kid, every child was given a school menu that listed the meals for every day of the week except holidays! Whenever we saw “HOLIDAY,” we knew it meant NO SCHOOL! We didn’t understand why, we just knew we didn’t have to go to school. That meant we got to stay home and have fun with our siblings or friends. Yet, it always seemed like Mom and Dad got more upset with us on those days, and we didn’t understand why.
I don’t think it was until I was an adult that I understood that holidays were not just days off from school. They had a purpose and meaning behind them, which was why we were given the day off from school and work.
As we celebrate Veterans Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, or Thanksgiving, are your kids truly appreciative of the sacrifices people have made for them? Do they understand that we get the day off not just to have fun, but to truly remember the people, what they did, and how their sacrifices impact our lives?
We knew that Thanksgiving meant we were going to have a big meal and that we had to sit at the kids’ table after a long, unusual prayer, but I don’t remember truly understanding or giving thanks for the purpose of Thanksgiving.
At Christmas, we had Christmas programs, parties, and events, and they were supposed to lead up to getting gifts. I’m not sure we really understood that we should give gifts because God gave His only Son as a sacrifice for us by sending Him to earth as a baby!
Mom and Dad, what can you do to help your kids truly understand the purpose, meaning, and impact behind these special days rather than simply seeing them as days off from school and work?
- Take your kids to the library to find books that help them understand what happened and why we celebrate the day.
- Make crafts or do an activity that has meaning behind it. Put what they are learning into practice to help them understand what the day is really about.
- Plan something over multiple days, such as an Advent calendar, so your kids are learning, anticipating, and looking forward to the special day.
- Have your older kids read a book and share what they learned about it at dinner. This gets them involved not only by listening but also by retelling the story and sharing something new they didn’t know before.
- Pray with your kids about the special day. Don’t just pray a general prayer like, “Please bless all the soldiers.” Encourage them to pray from their feelings and hearts rather than simply from what they know in their heads.
When kids are actively involved, they will not only remember the purpose of the day, but they will also learn to appreciate it. Understanding the meaning behind a special day can even help shape their behavior and attitudes as they celebrate it.
“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Psalm 106:1
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