Every year on November 11, Americans across the country celebrate Veterans Day. Schools will have special assemblies, there will be parades in many communities and people will take the opportunity to recognize those who have served in the US Armed Forces. Whilst many people will know Veterans Day as a day to thank the veterans, its origins actually go back over 100 years.

How It All Started

The roots of Veterans Day go back to World War I (1914-1918) when it was known as "The Great War" because of the sheer number of nations and people involved.

After years of fighting, an armistice (an agreement to stop fighting) was reached between the Allies and Germany. It came into effect at 11 a.m. on the 11th of November 1918. That was the moment the fighting actually stopped, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

A year later President Wilson proclaimed 11th November as Armistice Day. It was a day to mark the end of the First World War and to pay tribute to those who had served. The day was celebrated with parades and public events, as well as a moment of silence.

From Armistice Day to Veterans Day

Originally Armistice Day was just to recognize those who'd served in the First World War. After the Second World War and the Korean War though, the number of Americans who'd served in the armed forces had become enormous.

People started to feel that November 11 should be a day to recognize veterans of all wars, not just of the First World War. In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill which formally changed the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day. From that point on it was a day to honour all American veterans of the armed forces.

Interestingly Veterans Day didn't used to be on 11th November. In 1968 Congress passed a law which moved a number of federal holidays to a Monday in order to create more 3-day weekends. Veterans Day was moved to the 4th Monday in October. Many people still celebrated it on the 11th though as that was the date which had the significance. In 1975 President Ford signed a bill which moved it back to the 11th of November and the change came into effect in 1978.

Why is Veterans Day important?

Today, Veterans Day is a chance to acknowledge the millions of Americans who have served in the armed forces. That includes those who served in wartime as well as those who served in peacetime.

Although Veterans Day and Memorial Day are often conflated, they serve very different purposes. Memorial Day is the day we remember the military personnel who died in the course of their service. Veterans Day is the day we remember all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

All over the country people are celebrating through school events, community events, parades and ceremonies. Some are also taking the time to go out and thank their veterans personally in their families and in their communities.

More than just a day off from school/work, Veterans Day is a day to remember the people who have served their country. More than a century on from the original Armistice Day, 11th November still has a very important place in our history.

Veterans Day is a national observance, and communities across the country celebrate it in their own ways. Many schools will have a guest speaker in the form of a veteran who will talk about their service and what it has meant to them. Other schools will have an assembly where the students will sing the national anthem, recite speeches, or present thank-you cards to the veterans. There are parades and ceremonies in many communities outside of the school setting, often with military bands, veteran groups, and local officials in attendance. The most important of these is the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a symbol of all the American servicemen and women who have died in war and whose bodies were not identified. At the ceremony, a wreath is placed on the tomb in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. There are also businesses and organisations that will have special deals or offers for veterans. The way the celebrations are conducted will vary from community to community, but the one thing they all have in common is that they are a way of acknowledging the service and contribution of the American veteran.