The subject of the query, "Veterans Day federal holiday," functions grammatically as a noun phrase. In this construction, "holiday" is the head noun, modified by the adjective "federal" and the proper noun "Veterans Day," which acts as a noun adjunct. The interrogative "when" seeks adverbial information specifying the time of this event. The federal holiday is officially observed annually on November 11.
The date holds significant historical importance, originating as Armistice Day, which was first commemorated on November 11, 1919, to mark the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, following World War II and the Korean War, Congress amended the act by replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans" to honor American veterans of all wars. Although the Uniform Monday Holiday Act briefly moved the observance to the fourth Monday of October starting in 1971, public sentiment favored the original date. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance to its fixed date of November 11, effective in 1978.
The practical application of this fixed date depends on the day of the week on which November 11 falls. For federal employees and many other institutions, if November 11 occurs on a Saturday, the holiday is typically observed on the preceding Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, the observance is moved to the following Monday. This ensures that the holiday results in a designated day off from work, while the historical and ceremonial commemorations remain centered on the actual date of November 11.
