Barnstable Veterans Day 2020: What To Know

BARNSTABLE, MA — Veterans Day, a federal holiday, is held yearly on Nov. 11. It honors all American veterans and military.

In Barnstable, there is a Veterans Day celebration at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The celebration begins with a drive-thru tribute to veterans at St. Mary's Church at 3055 Main St.

Cars will travel through stations at the church parking lot. At the first station, veterans will receive a free cup of coffee and a baked good. At the next station, veterans' names will be written on a tag that will get attached to a flag on the church lawn.

At the final station, the Catania Hospitality Group will give out Hearth 'n Kettle gift cards to the first 100 veterans. Patriotic music will be played throughout the event.

Originally called Armistice Day, the holiday was created at the end of World War I to recognize those who fought in "the war to end all wars," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Its origin is tied to the armistice, a temporary end of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany signed in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

It became Veterans Day in 1954, shortly after the end of the Korean War and less than a decade after World War II, after various veterans service organizations urged Congress to encompass veterans of all wars in their honor.

With some ceremonies, parades and presentations either canceled or altered in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, restaurants and other businesses will continue to show their appreciation for veterans and active military members.

7-Eleven is among the chains that are offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp to veterans for their service.

Veterans Day is somewhat related to, and sometimes mistaken for, Memorial Day, the federal holiday on the final Monday of May that is dedicated to those who have died while serving the United States in war.