When Do We Observe Veterans Day?
Veterans Day is an annual holiday in the United States of America, and the day honors military veterans for the sacrifice and service they perform for the United States.
Although Veterans Day is usually celebrated on November 11th, it is not always celebrated on that date. If November 11 falls on a Sunday, then Veterans Day is celebrated on the following Monday.
If November 11 falls on a Saturday, then Veterans Day is celebrated on either the preceding Friday or the Saturday. Since Veterans Day is a federal holiday, non-essential federal government offices are closed. Further, all federal employees are paid for the holiday.
If any individuals who are federal employees are required to work on Veterans Day, they might receive additional wages for their work along with the required holiday pay.
First Veteran's Day
The holiday first began after World War I, and it was originally called Armistice Day in the United States. This is because the holiday was originally named after the Armistice that ended World War I, and that was signed on November 11th.
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson declared that November 11th would be known as Armistice Day in the United States.
Seven years after Wilson’s declaration, Congress passed a resolution to make the declaration officially. This occurred on June 4, 1926. The resolution requested the president to a second proclamation that stated the country should use November 11th for the necessary ceremonies to honor veterans.
On May 13th in 1938, an act declared November 11th as a federal holiday. According to the act, the day would be dedicated to the cause of world peace. Originally, the day served as a memory for the atrocities of World War I, for the promotion of avoiding wars, and solely for the veterans of World War I. Armistice Day is celebrated in other countries as well.
Expansion of Veteran's Day
In 1953, a shoe store owner had the idea to expand Armistice Day to include the celebration of all veterans, and not only the veterans that served in World War I. The shoe store owner name was Alfred King, and he lived in Emporia, Kansas.
During World War II, King was a member of the American War Dads. He felt strongly that veterans from all wars deserved to be honored. After all, all veterans sacrificed and suffered immensely for the United States. Thus, he began a campaign for turning Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day.
The campaign quickly became popular across the country, and a number of individuals wanted to join in the cause. The Chamber of Commerce in Emporia, Kansas supported the campaign after realizing that the majority of merchants and the Board of Education in Emporia, Kansas agreed with the idea.
The congressmen for the district of Emporia pushed a bill through Congress which stated that all veterans should be honored on November 11th. This bill was signed into law on May 26, 1954. The bill was signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower.
However, the day was still known as Armistice Day until Congress amended the act and changed the name of the holiday. On June 1, 1954, Congress officially replaced the word “Armistice” with “Veterans.” Since 1954, the day has been known as Veterans Day.
Spelling of Veterans Day
There is some confusion as to the spelling of the holiday’s name. You will frequently see the holiday spelled either as Veteran’s Day, or Veterans Day. Either spelling is actually grammatically acceptable. However, the government has declared the spelling without the apostrophe as the official spelling of the United States government.
So, now that you know the answer for when do we observe Veterans Day, you can remember to celebrate it this year!