Many people are glad to have a two-hour early release for Veterans Day, however, Veterans Day should be a school holiday.

Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first created in 1919 to honor the first anniversary of World War I, and was officially made a national holiday in 1938. Veterans Day is supposed to be a day to honor the people who fight for us and our freedom, so it would make sense if students had the day off to spend with their loved ones.

“When students have a day off of school, they usually get to know about the [history of the] holiday,” former Marine Corps logistics officer and science teacher Allison Maher said. “Many students don’t have a personal connection to the military, but it is good to have a day to bring awareness to the military and veterans.”

Veterans Day is a day to honor everything that the veterans have done for us and given to us. It serves as a reminder to honor these people every day. Some people say that Veterans Day should not be a holiday because we already have Memorial Day, but Memorial Day and Veterans Day bring awareness to two different things. Memorial Day honors the people who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, while Veterans Day recognizes the living and the dead who fought for this country.

“[Our] freedom came at [a] cost, and there was blood spilled to keep [the American] flag on the pole. Veterans Day is to remind us of that,” AFJROTC cadet major and junior Ryan Yi said. “Now, being part of AFJROTC, I understand the importance of these holidays that honor our veterans and active duty service members.”

Many events also take place on Veterans Day such as a Veterans Day parade in New York, and a chance to learn about the history of Veterans Day at the Arlington National Cemetery.

“I think Veterans Day should be a holiday,” Maher said. “A two-hour early release doesn’t give people time to do anything meaningful in honor of the holiday.”

Veterans Day serves as a holiday for employees and students in 48 of the 50 states in America. However, it is not enforced to be a holiday, so districts can make their own policies on closings.

“My brother is a veteran, and I think Veterans Day should be off because I want to be able to spend time with him on this day,” AFJROTC personnel officer and sophomore Landon Kelly said. “I can’t really do that with a two-hour early release.”

As of 2019, there are 73,603 veterans in Fairfax alone, all of these people should have time to spend with their loved ones on Veterans Day.

“Veterans Day should be [a school holiday],” Kelly said. “It allows me to spend time with my loved ones who are veterans.”