Lexington Veterans Day 2020: What To Know

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

In Lexington, the annual Veterans Day Ceremony is cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the town is airing a special Virtual Veterans Day program at 11 a.m. on local cable access channels RCN 3, Comcast 8, Verizon 35, RCN HD 613 or visit LexMedia.org to watch.

There is also a Veterans Day Car Parade happening at 1 p.m. The parade will begin at the Community Center (39 Marrett Road), continue west on Massachusetts Avenue, past the Battle Green, and end at St. Brigid's Church.

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.

Applebee’s, Bob Evans and Chili’s Grill and Bar are among the national restaurant chains offering free or discounted meals for veterans on Nov. 11, and 7-Eleven is offering a free cup of coffee or Big Gulp.

Other places, such as Golden Corral and Eat'n Park, have offers extended throughout November.

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.