Veterans Day: What’s open, what’s closed

Washington– The Veterans Day holiday began more than a century ago, albeit under a different name, as a celebration of the end of World War I. Over time its name and purpose evolved into a day of appreciation for American veterans of all wars as well as those currently serving in uniform.

It’s also a holiday for U.S. postal workers and federal government employees, though most are not attending work now during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Many Veterans Day celebrations have been canceled due to the government shutdown.

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day to celebrate the agreement between the Allied Powers and Germany to cease all hostilities during World War I which took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918.

The United States celebrated the first Armistice Day under President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Congress made November 11 an official federal holiday in 1938.

Here’s what’s open and closed this year on Veterans Day:

government

Government offices, post offices and courts are closed. Many public and private schools are operating as usual. However, depending on the location, some choose to close for the holiday.

Banks and markets

US stock markets are open for trading as usual, but the bond market and most banks are closed.

Retailers

The vast majority of major retailers — including Walmart, Home Depot and Target — will be open, with many trying to attract customers with promotional sales. Hours may vary by location.

He travels

Veterans Day is not a major day for travel, but this year air travelers may find their plans upended due to the federal government shutdown.

U.S. airlines canceled more than 1,500 flights on Saturday and more than 2,900 flights on Sunday in compliance with a Federal Aviation Administration order to reduce traffic as some air traffic controllers, who have been without pay for nearly a month due to the shutdown, stopped showing up for work.

As of early Monday, airlines had already canceled nearly 1,600 flights for Monday and about 1,000 flights for Tuesday.

The Senate took the first step toward ending the shutdown on Sunday, but final passage could take several days, and experts said it will take time