Trump names new holidays on May 8 and November 11, but don’t skip work

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President Donald Trump proclaimed in a post on his social media site Monday, May 5, that there will be two new holidays, each commemorating the end of WWI and WWII.

“All over the World, the Allies are celebrating the Victory we had in World War II. The only Country that doesn’t celebrate is the United States of America, and the Victory was only accomplished because of us,” Trump said in the post, referring to Victory in Europe Day on May 8, which is celebrated throughout Europe.

“I am hereby declaring a National Holiday in celebration of the Victories of World War I, where the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and World War II, where the Victory date was May 8, 1945,” he said.

Trump has said previously that he wants to call May 8 “Victory Day for World War II,” and Nov. 11 as “Victory Day for World War I,” with the latter coinciding with the federally-recognized Veterans Day holiday.

But a post on Truth Social does not make a federal holiday, nor does a new holiday translate into an automatic day off. Here’s what to know.

Veteran’s Day no longer? Trump says he wants to change the holiday’s name

Is May 8 now a national holiday? Do you have to work on May 8?

Trump promised in his post that documentation to officially designate the two new “Victory” holidays is coming, but warned outright Americans will not be excused from work.

“We will not be closing the Country for these two very important Holidays, November 11 and May 8, World War I and World War II, because we already have too many Holidays in America,” he wrote. “There are not enough days left in the year. We were Workers then, and we are Workers now!”

May 8 is not a federal holiday in the United States, though it is recognized as Victory in Europe Day in several European countries. It marks the period during WWII when Germany surrendered to allied forces − a defeat significantly aided by the involvement of the United States and its military.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social on May 5, days before the proposed holiday, that the United States should also celebrate what Europe calls “VE” Day.

Trump’s fixation on national holidays, new and old

Trump’s post this week is not the first time he has announced a new holiday or a change to an existing, federally recognized one.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Feb. 9 declaring that date the inaugural “Gulf of America Day.”

In an April 27 post on Truth Social, Trump said he’s “bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes,” referring to the recent step away from celebrating the controversial explorer in order to focus on Indigenous People’s Day. Former President Joe Biden was the first president to recognized Indigenous Peoples Day in a 2021 proclamation. It falls on the second Monday in October.

What are the 12 federally-recognized holidays?

Federal holidays − including their names − are created through the legislative process in Congress. Technically, federal holidays are applicable only to federal employees and the District of Columbia, meaning states individually determine their legal holidays, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Veterans Day is one of 12 federal holidays in 2025, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Here is the full list of days most federal workers, and many Americans working in the private sector, have off:

  • Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
  • Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Feb. 17: Presidents Day
  • May 26: Memorial Day
  • June 19: Juneteenth
  • July 4: Independence Day or July Fourth
  • Sept. 1: Labor Day
  • Oct. 13: Columbus Day
  • Nov. 11: Veterans Day
  • Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day
  • Dec. 25: Christmas Day

Contributing: Melina Khan, Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY.

Kathryn Palmer is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] and on X @KathrynPlmr.

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