November 11th marks Veterans Day, the day we set special time aside to remember those who have served in our armed forces.
Veterans Day began in 1919, first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson as Armistice Day and originally intended to be a day to remember the signing of the armistice that ended World War 1. In 1938, Congress passed an Act that made Armistice Day an official holiday and set November 11th, or the closest weekday to that date, as the day to remember. It wasn’t until 1953 when a man living in Kansas proposed that the day be extended to include all veterans, not just those involved in World War 1. This revised version of Veterans Day, as we know it today, was signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on May 26, 1954.
Veterans Day is a federal holiday, meaning that many schools and businesses let their students and employees have the day off to celebrate. Traditional celebrations include parades, school rallies, and the somewhat strange tradition of eating ravioli for dinner. The latter date back to the closing days of World War 1 when President Wilson invited more than 2,000 soldiers, who the President felt would be starving for a home-cooked meal, into the White House and had the chefs prepare ravioli for all of the guests.
If you know any veterans, we encourage you to take some time out of your day to call them and thank them for their service. ACA will hold a remembrance ceremony in each of the classes to demonstrate the importance of the men and women who fight for our country to the students. We encourage parents and students to get involved in the celebrations going on in the community.
ACA humbly thanks those who have bravely served. From our students, our teachers, and our country, thank you.
