Veterans Day returned permanently to November 11 in 1978 after its temporary Monday observance period.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October, with the change taking effect in 1971. The goal was to provide more predictable three-day weekends, but veterans’ organizations objected because November 11 had a direct connection to the 1918 armistice.
Congress passed legislation restoring the traditional date, and the change took effect in 1978. Since then, Veterans Day has remained a fixed-date federal holiday on November 11, although weekday substitution rules can affect when some federal employees receive a day off.
The return to November 11 does not mean the holiday always falls on a weekday. When November 11 is a Saturday or Sunday, federal observance may occur on an adjacent weekday, while ceremonies can still take place on the date itself.