Home Front Friday: The Spirit of the Season

Home Front Friday is a regular series that highlights the can do spirit on the Home Front during World War II and illustrates how that spirit is still alive today!

The holidays are upon us. Many take this time to be grateful for the things in our lives that give us peace and solace. We take the time to say thank you to people who touch our lives in different ways. In the spirit of the season, we can also remember those who protect our way of life. During World War II, tens of millions men and women were stationed all over the world far from home. Some had moved to do war work in a factory. Others were training for combat or in support roles helping America’s fighting forces. Several years in a row, many hoped the war would be over by the end of year. But Americans celebrated Christmas all over the world.

The Museum’s Digital Collection has many more images and oral histories of men and women during the holidays.

Explore Christmas on the Home Front during World War II.

Today, we can look back with Christmases past with nostalgia and confidence that the war did end. When you reflect upon the past year, consider our veterans, both from World War II and since, that may not have spent the holidays at home with their families.

Some things you can do:

• Write a letter to a veteran thanking him/her for his/her service.
• When you bake cookies, bake an extra dozen and give them to a local vet center or research how to send them to active duty troops away from home this holiday season.
• Send a box of cookies to a veteran without ever turning on the oven.
• Knit a scarf for a veteran to keep them warm through the winter and to remind them that we still appreciate their service.

May the spirit of the season spread joy and kindness to all!

Posted by Lauren Handley, Assistant Director of Education for Public Programs at The National WWII Museum.