Veterans Day facts

By Sam Erickson

Feature Writer

Veterans Day is a holiday that has come to mean more since Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Originally started after World War I, the increasing number of veterans in recent years and the military commitments have made the holiday more important to contemporary society. More schools and businesses close, and celebrations have blossomed across the country. Despite those developments, there are still some questions about this national holiday.

There’s even some question about the actual name of the day. Does the day belong to veterans? Should the name have an apostrophe? If so, does it belong to one veteran or all veterans? There is no apostrophe in the name because it is a day to honor all veterans.

How is it different than Memorial Day? Memorial Day is meant to honor and remember veterans who have died in the service of their country or because of wounds from service. Veterans Day is meant to honor all veterans. It has taken on an increased awareness of living veterans, their service and the contributions they have made to national security in recent years.

Veterans Day is not only a national holiday in the United States. Dating back to World War I, Canada, Australia and Great Britain all observe Remembrance Day on November 11. The celebrations are a little different in each place, but the overall intent is the same: to honor those who have served to protect the country. Parades, wreath laying and ceremonies mark celebrations in all three countries.

While Veterans Day is a federal holiday, it is not universally observed. There is no requirement for businesses or state offices to close, although all federal services are suspended for the day. There is no federal law requiring all schools to close as there is for other federal holidays, so each school district decides whether to follow the observance. Unlike other national holidays that have been moved to Monday to create a long weekend, Veterans Day is always observed on November 11 regardless of the day on which it falls. Veterans groups have long lobbied for special recognition. Schools can and do choose to observe the holiday on different days of the week.

The practice of wearing poppies on Memorial Day is a tradition that has gone largely unobserved by many in recent years. Many wonder if it is appropriate for Veterans Day as well. Officially, the wearing of poppies to remember war dead is precisely that — a remembrance for those who have died — and, because Veterans Day honors all veterans, the wearing of remembrance flowers is not a common practice. Many communities, however, are developing rituals and ceremonies to mark the holiday honoring all veterans.

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