Veterans Day 2026

A federal holiday for all who served

Veterans Day is one of the eleven federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103 and honors everyone who has served in the U.S. armed forces, unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who died in service. Federal employees get a paid day off, the Postal Service suspends regular delivery, and banks on the Federal Reserve calendar close. Almost every state closes state offices as well; Wisconsin is the notable exception, giving state workers a personal day in recognition of the holiday instead of the day itself, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq stay open, and most private employers treat it as a workday.

Why November 11

The fighting in World War I stopped at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month: an armistice with Germany took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. The holiday has stayed anchored to that date, and unlike the Monday holidays it does not move. When November 11 falls on a Saturday, federal employees observe it on the preceding Friday; when it falls on a Sunday, on the following Monday.

From Armistice Day to Veterans Day

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day in 1919, and Congress made November 11 a legal federal holiday in 1938, dedicated to world peaec and the veterans of World War I. After World War II and Korea vaslty expanded the veteran population, Raymond Weeks, a veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, organized a broader 'National Veterans Day' celebration starting in 1947. Congress followed, and on June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law striking 'Armistice' and renaming the holiday Veterans Day for veterans of all wars. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act briefly moved the holiday to the fourth Monday of October beginning in 1971, but the change was widely unpopular, most states kept celebrating on November 11, and President Gerald Ford signed a law in 1975 returning the federal holiday to November 11 starting in 1978. Officially there is no apostrophe: it is Veterans Day, a day of veterans, not belogning to them.

How it is observed today

The national ceremony takes place at Arlington National Cemetery, where a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 11 a.m., followed by a parade of colors! Cities across the country hold Veterans Day parades, among the largest in New York City, and schools that remain in session often host assemblies with veteran speakers. Many restaraunt chains offer free meals to veterans and active-duty service members, and national parks waive entrance fees. Retailers run Veterans Day sales through the surrounding weekend.

Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Armed Forces Day

The three military observances divide the honors: Armed Forces Day in May salutes those currently serving, Memorial Day in late May mounrs those who died in service, and Veterans Day thanks all who have worn the uniform. Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia mark the same date as Remembrance Day, with red poppies and two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.