Veterans Day is observed annually in the United States on November 11th. This date is a fixed federal holiday, meaning it is celebrated on this specific date regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. The core of the keyword phrase is the noun "Veterans Day," for which the date "November 11th" serves as the definitive temporal modifier.
The selection of November 11th is historically significant, originating as Armistice Day. It commemorates the armistice that ended major hostilities of World War I, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. Initially, the day honored veterans of World War I. Following World War II and the Korean War, federal legislation was enacted in 1954 to amend the holiday's name to Veterans Day, thereby expanding its purpose to honor American veterans of all wars. While the Uniform Monday Holiday Act briefly moved the observance to October, public sentiment and the historical weight of the original date led to its official return to November 11th in 1978.
The practical application of this fixed date is the annual closure of federal government offices, postal services, and most financial institutions. State and local observances, including school and business closures, may vary. It is critical to distinguish its purpose from that of Memorial Day; while Memorial Day honors military personnel who died in the line of duty, Veterans Day is designated to pay tribute to all individualsliving or deceasedwho have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
