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Salute Veterans on November 11

Americans across the country will be celebrating Veterans' Day on November 11. This annual federal holiday is set aside as a time for honoring all veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces.

Veterans' Day is observed on November 11 in commemoration of the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. Hostilities officially ended in 1918 at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The first observance of the holiday was in 1919.

Formerly called “Armistice Day,” the holiday was originally intended to honor veterans of the First World War. Later, the meaning of the holiday was expanded to include not only veterans of World War I, but to honor all U.S. military veterans who served in either wartime or peacetime.

On November 11, Canadians celebrate a similar holiday called Remembrance Day to honor those who served in the Canadian Armed Forces. In Canada, it is tradition for citizens to wear red poppy flowers in memory of those who perished in war.

This Veterans' Day, show your appreciation for our country’s military veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much to guard our freedom. Attend a parade or special ceremony, lay flowers in a cemetery, or send a card to a veteran in your community. And at 11:00 a.m., join other Americans in a moment of silence to remember those who paid the ultimate price in service to our country.