Every year, Americans pause twice to recognize the military: Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November.
The holidays can look similar from the outside, flags, ceremonies, patriotic songs and speeches, but they honor two very different groups of people.
Memorial Day honors military members who died in service to the country. The holiday began after the Civil War, when communities across the nation began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers, leading to the original name “Decoration Day.”
One of the earliest observances took place in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865. Historian David Blight wrote that a crowd of about 10,000 people, many of them formerly enslaved men and women, gathered to honor Union soldiers who had died during the war.
Veterans Day, on the other hand, honors all who have served or do serve in the U.S. military. Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday falls on Nov. 11 every year to mark the end of World War I in 1918.
While both holidays recognize military service, Memorial Day is rooted in remembrance and loss, while Veterans Day is centered on gratitude and recognition for those who served.
