www.softprint.net  »All Holidays and Celebrated Dates  »Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly called Armistice Day, is the day the United States commemorates the contributions of those who have served in its military. It falls on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War. It is celebrated as a federal holiday on 11 November. All major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. Armistice Day was first commemorated in the United States by President Wilson in 1919, and many states made it a legal holiday. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all Americans to observe the day, and made it a legal holiday nationwide in 1938. The holiday has been observed annually on November 11 since that date - first as Armistice Day, later as Veterans' Day - except for a brief period when it was celebrated on the fourth Monday of October.

Although it is a federal holiday and most schools and government institutions are closed, very few businesses close and most delivery services other than the Post Office stay on regular schedules. As a result, most public transit systems are on regular schedules as well even though they are usually run by the local government. Most businesses claim that its occurring only two weeks from Thanksgiving (when most corporations close for a four-day weekend) as the main reason.