Veterans Day 2023: Significance, Origin & Celebration

Veterans Day is an annual day of observance in the United States that falls every year on November 11. The day honors military veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces and have maintained peace during the times of war and otherwise as well. It is a federal holiday in the US and is observed with great enthusiasm among the people all over the nation. Earlier, it was called as Armistice Day and honored the fallen of the World War II. Let us learn in detail about the Veterans Day 2023 celebration, significance, history and much more from this article.

Veterans Day 2023 Date

Veterans Day 2023 will be observed on November 11.

*Veterans Day 2023 is falling on a Saturday and therefore the holiday will be observed on Friday, November 10, 2023.

Veterans Day 2023

Significance of Veterans Day 2023

Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States that is observed annually on November 11. The day is meant for honoring those military personnel who have served in the US Armed Forces. This day started to be observed at the end of World War I to honor those who fought bravely and died in this war and was celebrated as Armistice Day. It was later changed to be celebrated as Veterans Day in the honor of veterans of all the American wars.

Origin of Veterans Day Celebration

In 1919, after the World War I ended, the President of the United States issued a message to the fellow countrymen in honor of those who died in the war. This started the observation of Armistice Day. After the World War II ended in 1945,  Raymond Weeks, a veteran of the war, got the idea of expand the celebration of Armistice day and observe it in honor of all war veterans rather than the only those who died in World War I. He led a delegation to General Dwight Eisenhower, who supported the idea of National Veterans Day.

US representative Ed Rees presented a bill and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it, thus establishing the holiday. Congress later amended the bill and replaced Armistice with Veterans and that’s how Veterans Day began to be celebrated.

In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October in 1971. In 1978, it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11 but in case it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the observance is shifted to the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively.

Veterans Day 2023 Celebration

Veterans day 2023 will be observed on Friday, 11^th of November 2023 and will be celebrated by people all over the country. It is day of honoring the veterans who served the country selflessly without asking anything in return. But these veterans are later left to live in poor conditions, suffering financially and from mental health concerns. The best way in which you can celebrate Veterans Day is by supporting a veteran in any way you can.

You can visit the nearest organization that offer help and support for the veterans and contribute your efforts. Not only money, you can also donate food, gift cards or baked goods such as cookies, pies, etc to let them know that you care for them. You can also participate in the Veterans Day parade organized by the United War Veterans Council. Other than this, many schools and cities host their own Veterans Day parade to honor the local veterans. You can also catch the parades on your television if you are unable to attend it in person.

FAQs 3