In the United States, November 11th is recognized as Veteran's Day. What is Veteran's Day? Why
is it celebrated on November 11th? In the early morning hours of November 11,
1918, the Allied Powers (France, Great Britain, the United States, etc.) and Germany agreed
to end the fighting during World War I. Later that day, an official armistice (a ceasefire
between warring parties) was signed. In fact, the armistice was signed in Paris at 11:00
AM on November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month).
This date was almost instantly recognized as being an important one. The following year
(1919), many nations declared November 11 a national holiday. The day became known as
Armistice Day and honored those who had died during the war.
Many nations still honor Armistice Day and the focus of the holiday is placed on soldiers
who have lost their lives (similar to the American holiday of Memorial Day). There are
several different traditions associated with Armistice Day. For example, some nations still
observe a moment of silence, usually for two minutes, at 11:00 in the morning. The first
minute is said to honor the millions who died during World War I. The second minute is for
the living who were also affected by the war (wives, parents, and children).
There are also significant ceremonies which take place in South Africa and Australia,
as both nations were profoundly impacted by World War I. In South Africa, they observe
the moment in darkness as well as silence. In Australia, instead of 11:00 AM, they observe
their moment of silence at 9:00 PM. This is because at 9:00 PM in Australia, it is 11:00
AM in Paris. In other nations, the nature and focus of
the holiday changed after the conclusion of World War II. At that point, Great Britain
began referring to the day as Remembrance Day. In America, the holiday became Veteran's
Day. However, in the United States, Veteran's Day has grown to recognize all of those who
have served their country, whether living or dead (and even honors those still serving).
A World War II veteran, Raymond Weeks, was the first to propose the notion of recognizing
all veterans on this day. He approached Dwight Eisenhower with the idea, and it was eventually
presented as a bill before Congress. Veteran's Day was recognized as an official holiday
on May 26, 1954. Today, Raymond Weeks is remembered by some as "the Father of Veteran's Day."
At first, Veteran's Day continued to be celebrated on November 11th. However, in 1971 it was
briefly moved to the fourth Monday in October. It remained on that day until 1978, when it
was returned to the November 11th date. Today, Veteran's Day is recognized across
the United States and is observed on the 11th of November each year. Americans all over
the country join with many others around the world to honor those who have served in the
military.