Shrewsbury residents, it’s time to honor the nation’s veterans. Wednesday, November 11, 2015 the Shrewsbury Veterans Council will sponsor its annual Veterans Day ceremony. All residents are welcome to attend, particularly veterans. The event will begin at 11 a.m., though veterans are encouraged to meet at 10:45. The ceremony is scheduled to take place outside Beal School beside the war monument, but it will be moved into the sSchool in the case of rain. The school is located at 1 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

Friends of the Shrewsbury Public Library will also be hosting a coffee reception after the ceremony.

The History Behind the Holiday

November 11 was first designed as Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. It was a commemoration of the end of World War I, meant to incite “pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and gratitude for of the victory,” according to Wilson. The day was designed to be filled with parades and public meetings, and business was to be suspended during Armistice Day.

In 1938, Armistice Day became an annual legal holiday, which would later become known as Veterans Day. It was dubbed Veterans Day in 1954, after the end of World War II, as a way to honor all of America’s veterans. It was President Dwight D. Eisenhower that issued the very first Veterans Day Proclamation.