Veterans Day
Veterans Day should not be confused with Memorial Day which is held on last Monday of May. While most know that Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military, the Memorial Day is celebrated for those men and women who died while working. But the meaning behind its exact date (November 11) may not be so familiar to everyone. It is a Federal Holiday. Here is the story behind it.
Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending the World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.
President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day as "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars. But 11/11/11 still represented the end of the Great World War I in the public's mind, and the date stuck.
In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC, Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified, continues every year in the US. The ceremony is held at 11 am at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Congress designated Veterans Day as a legal holiday in 1938, and since then, most Americans have come to know it as a day for store sales and parades. On June 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veteran's Day to honor all who had fought in American wars. Yahoo! Searches on the holiday have already surged on the Web. People want to know "veterans day history," "veterans day closings," veterans day sales," and "veterans day free meals" etc etc.
It was changed in 1954. Many other countries which participated in WWI also celebrated this day to honor thoe who served this day in Military (living and dead) on November 11.