Veteran's Day is a holiday to honor all those who served in the military. In both Canada and the US this observance is a legal holiday.

At 11:00 AM, it is traditional on Veteran's Day to observe a moment of silence to honor those who fought for their country. In Washington DC, there is a special ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Special services are also held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Many communities and Veteran's groups will hold services at local veteran's memorials.

On this day, Veteran's groups sell red paper poppy flowers to raise money for charity. The red flowers commemorate one of the worst battles of World War I, which took place in a field of wild poppies, called Flanders Field. Many Canadian and US troops died in that battle.

In Canada, Remembrance Day has been a holiday since the end of World War I (1918). It was first observed as a celebration of the end of that war. The armistice ending World War I war was signed on November 11, 1918. The anniversary of the armistice was established as a holiday to honor all those veterans who died serving their country.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day in the US. Originally, it was a holiday to honor all those who served in World War I. In 1938, Armistice Day became a federal holiday. In 1954 the holiday's name was changed to Veteran's Day to honor all veterans. In 1971, President Richard Nixon moved the holiday to the second Monday in November.

Note: This holiday is one of Calendar Mine's over 500 built-in observances.

See Also

Holiday Catalogue

American (USA) Observances