Veterans Day is the day we honor everyone who has served in the military for our country. This is different from Memorial Day which honors those who died while serving.
It is celebrated on November 11. The holiday comes on the nearest workday to November 11. To celebrate Veterans Day, some cities and towns have parades. Veterans from the area may march in the parades. Sometimes people visit cemeteries on Veterans Day. People may put flowers or flags on the graves of veterans to honor them.
In the United States Veterans Day is a federal holiday. Many schools are closed for the day. Many other countries celebrate the day as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day as November 11 was the end of World War I.
There are many parades and services throughout the country that honor veterans. The national ceremony is held each year at Arlington National Cemetery where the president gives a speech and veterans are honored. Many people fly a US flag on this day to show their patriotism and support for the armed services. At 11 a.m. a moment of silence is observed to remember those who served.
People in Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom also honor veterans on a day in November. Canada and the United Kingdom call the holiday Remembrance Day. On November 11, people across Europe remember the end of World War I.
History
It was at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 that a temporary peace, or armistice, was signed and the fighting during World War I came to an end.
A year later President Woodrow Wilson announced that November 11 would be called Armistice Day in the United States.
In 1938 Armistice Day became a national federal holiday. It was a day dedicated to world peace and held in honor of the veterans of World War I.
In 1954 Congress decided to change the name to Veteran’s Day. This was because they wanted to honor the veterans of all wars including World War II and the Korean War.
In 1968 the day was moved to the fourth Monday of November. It was later changed back to November 11 in 1978 by President Gerald Ford.
What can you do?
• You can fly an American flag in honor of our armed forces.
• You can thank a veteran for their service.
• You can volunteer to help out at a veterans’ organization or help an individual veteran.
• You can always remember that freedom in this country isn’t free. We have it thanks to our veterans all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
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