In 1918, on 11 November, the world rejoiced and celebrated. After four years of bitter war, an armistice was signed. The First World War was over.

November 11 was set aside as Armistice Day in the United States, to remember the sacrifices that were made during the war in order to ensure a lasting peace. On Armistice Day, soldiers who survived the war marched in a parade through their home townd. Politicians and veteran officers gave speeches and held ceremonies of thanks for the peace they had won.

Congress voted Armistice Day a legal holiday in 1938, twenty years after the war ended.

In 1953, townspeople in Emporia, Kansas called the holiday Veterans Day in gratidude to the veterans in their town. Soon after, Congress passed a bill introduced by a Kansas congressman renaming the national holiday to Veterans' Day.

Americans still give thanks for peace on Veterans Day. Then the dead of both world wars are remembered in special church services and civic ceremonies. There are speeches to honor veterans of all the wars in which the US has been involved. At 11.00 in the morning, most Americans observe a moment of silence, remembering those who fought for peace.

Based, among other things, on Celebrate Holidays in the U.S.A., a resource handbook for teaching English as a foreign language.

W języku angielskim prawidłowa pisownia nazwy święta to Veterans Day. Niekiedy spotykane nazwy Veteran's Day lub Veterans' Day są niepoprawne. Prawidłowa nazwa nie zawiera apostrofu, ponieważ jest to dzień poświęcony pamięci weteranów, a nie dzień, który do nich należy.

Source:http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzie%C5%84_Weteran%C3%B3w