Purple Up Day on April 15th is a day for all the military kids out there! Being a military member is tough, as is being the spouse of a military member. But you know what doesn’t get talked about nearly enough? The toll that military life takes on children and dependents of military members and families. Purple Up Day is a day to celebrate those kids!

Purple Up Day: A Day for Military Kids

The whole month of April is celebrated as the Month of the Military Child to recognize and support kids who are in military life. Purple Up Day, specifically, is celebrated on April 15th every year. U.S. Armed Forces personnel place a lot of emphasis on the entire unit, also referred to as the “total force,” that contributes to military success. Not only does this include every branch, rank, and job within the military, but it also includes all the support systems and support personnel responsible for uplifting military members and their work, which includes children and dependents of military members.

Read more on military support systems:

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! A Special Thanks to Milspouses In 1986, then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger created the Month of the Military Child, intending it to be a DoD-wide celebration to honor the strength of the youngest members of the “total force.” Weinberger was an Army Vet, himself, and had two kids: a son and a daughter. Since military parents are often away from home, Purple Up Day became an important symbol of supporting, uplifting, and being there for military kids since their built-in support system isn’t always available to them.

Why Is Purple Worn on Military Kids Day?

National Purple Up Day can confuse some people. What is the significance of wearing purple for military kids? In the military, purple is thought to signify the combination of all military branches into one. Why? Well, the answer is pretty simple and has to do with color theory! The Air Force, Coast Guard, and Navy all wear shades of blue in their dress uniforms. The Army wears green, and the Marines often wear red. When you mix green, blue, and red, depending on the amount of each, you’ll likely end up with some shade of purple! Because of this, purple signifies the entire military. Since military kids exist within all branches, it makes sense that their day is called Purple Up Day.

Month of the Military Child Ideas

Purple Up Day 2022 is easy to celebrate. For one, just wear purple! Not all civilians will understand or even notice that you’ve worn purple on April 15th. Those who do notice and understand, however, will look at you and acknowledge your support for military kids and personnel. There are tons of ways to celebrate military kids during Purple Up Day for the Military Child. 2022 is the perfect time to pull out some military medals for kids! Though there’s not an official, DoD-sanctioned military child medal, you can find a ton of real-looking ones up for purchase online. Work with local schools, religious organizations, and communities to spread the word about Purple Up Day and create events and ceremonies for military kids! You can line them up military-style and pin some military child medals on their shirts just like mom and dad get. Donate your time or supplies to military child causes, and make sure the military kids in your life know you’re there to support them. You can also help raise awareness about Purple Up Day by using hashtags and spreading related content like this on social media or posting flyers around your town!

Read next:

When Is Military Appreciation Month? Why Do We Celebrate It?

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