There are 19 Million veterans living in the USA – reason enough to thank them on a designated holiday. Since the End of World War I, this has taken place on Veterans Day in November.

Festive parades and ceremonies are as much a part of this holiday as Veterans Day Sales with amazing bargains for active and retired US soldiers.

In this article, you will learn what the history of Veterans Day is all about, where you can see the biggest celebrations, and which institutions are closed on this special day.

Veterans Day – Festivities and Ceremonies

Veterans Day is of utmost importance for the national identity of the US, and includes a number of spectacular ceremonies and festivities – among them:

Parades

Veterans Day would not be the same without festive parades that see veterans, active military personal and reservists march side by side – accompanied by bands, and a sea of American flags. The biggest parade is held in New York, by the way: 20.000 members of the military and half a Million viewers take part in the New York Veterans Day Parade, which dates back to the year 1919 and is even broadcast on TV. Of course, there are also parades in Florida: for example, in Tampa, Orlando or Miami. If you want to see the state’s biggest parade, you should go to Jacksonville.

Cemetery Services

Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most important memorial sites in the USA – even more so on Veterans Day. At 11 am, the service starts at the „Tomb of the unknown Soldier“, a symbol for all fallen US servicemen. After the national anthem, the US President performs a wreath-laying ceremony to express the country’s gratitude. Similar ceremonies take place all over the country, and in the days leading up to Veterans Day, many cemeteries are decorated with American flags.

A common symbol that often adorns uniforms on that day are red poppies. This flower was mentioned in John McCrae’s poem “In Flander’s Fields” and has been used to commemorate fallen US soldiers since the end of World War I.

Moment of Silence

According to a resolution by the US Congress, all Americans are encouraged to observe two minutes of silence at 3:11 pm on Veterans Day. This decision is fairly new. It was issued in 2016 by the Obama administration to “honor the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation” (114th Congress – S.1004).

Veterans Day Sales

On Veterans Day, Many shops in the USA take the opportunity to thank former servicemen with special sales and offers. Gas stations, for example, offer free gas for veterans, while restaurants do not charge anything for coffee. Depending on the store, these discounts also apply to active military personnel, reservists, first responders, nurses, and teachers.

Contribution of the NFL

Every year on Veterans Day, the North American Football League (NFL) hold a “Salute to Service” in honor of America’s ex-servicemen. This includes football games, of course: For every point at the Salute to Service Games, 1,000 USD goes to non-profit veteran organizations. In addition, members of the military accompany the players on the field and take part in the pre-game and half-time shows. On the NFL website, fans can buy patriotic merchandise like hats and T-shirts.

Private Commemoration

Veterans Day is not only celebrated in the public domain. Individually, many Americans take the opportunity to say “thank you” to Veterans and visit memorial sites. At houses, you can often see the American flag – raised briskly, that is. Unlike Memorial Day, when the flag is in half-mast position, Veterans Day is a day of joyful celebration. Thus, there is nothing wrong with wishing each other “Happy Veterans Day”.

Donating to veterans organizations is also popular on that day, and many volunteers send packages to soldiers stationed overseas. In the last years, Veterans Day has become an occasion for the media to raise awareness about issues like difficult job prospects for veterans or PTSD due to combat experience.

Veterans Day – Opening Hours

As a federal holiday, Veterans Day is celebrated in all states of the USA. This means that non-essential government institutions stay closed – just like post offices, banks and the stock exchange.

For private companies and schools, the rules are less strict. They can decide for themselves if they want to close on Veterans Day or not. The same applies to stores. Most of the big chains like Walmart, Best Buy and Target are open. In addition, restaurants, theme parks and museums use the large number of visitors to turn a profit on Veterans Day.