 On what day of the week will Veterans Day be observed? Veterans Day
is always observed on November 11, regardless of the day of the week
on which it falls. The Veterans Day National Ceremony, like most
ceremonies around the nation, is held on Veterans Day itself. When a
holiday falls on a non-workday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the holiday
usually is observed by the federal government on Monday (if the
holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on
Saturday).
A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans
Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent,
however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to
many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance
to its traditional date.)
In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh
month, the world rejoiced and celebrated. After four years of bitter
war, the Allied powers a signed a cease-fire agreement (an
armistice) with Germany at Rethondes, France on November 11, 1918,
bringing World War I to a close. The "war to end all wars" was over.
November 11, 1919 was set aside as Armistice Day in the United
States, to remember the sacrifices that men and women made during
World War I in order to ensure a lasting peace. On Armistice Day,
soldiers who survived the war marched in a parade through their home
towns. Politicians and veteran officers gave speeches and held
ceremonies of thanks for the peace they had won.
Armistice Day officially received its name in the United States in
1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national
holiday 12 years later. Congress voted Armistice Day a federal
holiday in 1938, 20 years after the war ended. But Americans
realized that the previous war would not be the last one. World War
II began the following year and nations great and small again
participated in a bloody struggle. After the Second World War,
Armistice Day continued to be observed on November 11.
In 1953 townspeople in Emporia, Kansas called the holiday Veterans'
Day in gratitude to the veterans in their town. Soon after, Congress
passed a bill introduced by a Kansas congressman renaming the
federal holiday to Veterans' Day. Beginning in 1954, the United
States designated November 11 as Veterans Day to honor veterans of
all U.S. wars. 1971 President Nixon declared it a federal holiday on
the second Monday in November.
Americans still give thanks for peace on Veterans' Day. There are
ceremonies and speeches and at 11:00 in the morning, most Americans
observe a moment of silence, remembering those who fought for peace.
After the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, the
emphasis on holiday activities has shifted. There are fewer military
parades and ceremonies. Veterans gather at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in Washington, D.C. to place gifts and stand quiet vigil at
the names of their friends and relatives who fell in the Vietnam
War. Families who have lost sons and daughters in wars turn their
thoughts more toward peace and the avoidance of future wars.
Veterans of military service have organized support groups such as
the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. On Veterans' Day
and Memorial Day, these groups raise funds for their charitable
activities by selling paper poppies made by disabled veterans. This
bright red wildflower became a symbol of World War I after a bloody
battle in a field of poppies called Flanders Field in Belgium. |
 Read
the holiday information on this page. Choose the correct
answer for each of the following test questions. |
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1. Veterans Day is always observed on which
date?
2. From 1968 until 1978 Veterans Day was observed on
which day?
3. Rethondes is located in which country?
4. The "war to end all wars" refers to which war?
5. What was Veterans Day originally called?
6. Emporia is located in which state?
7. The holiday was designated as Veterans Day beginning
in which year?
8. In 1971, which president declared Veterans Day a
federal holiday?
9. What are poppies?
10. In which country is Flanders Field located?
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