Earlier this week, President Trump took to Truth Social to declare two new national holidays. One is still several months away: a commemoration of the end of World War I slated for Nov. 11 — a day that already happens to be a federal holiday (Veterans Day).
So… not much change there, and plenty of time to prepare.
Trump’s other new national holiday — a commemoration of the end of World War II in Europe — arrived with a lot less advance warning. In fact, it’s today: Thursday, May 8.
“We won two World Wars, but we never took credit for it — Everyone else does!” Trump wrote. “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.”
Is this real? Will Americans get May 8 off in the future? How are national holidays even determined? Here’s everything you need to know.
Is May 8 really a national holiday now?
Sort of. Presidents have the power to issue proclamations setting aside certain days to honor or commemorate a public issue, social cause, ethnic group, historic event or noted individual.
Trump hasn't done this yet — but if and when he does, May 8 will join the ranks of Feb. 15 (Susan B. Anthony Day), March 31 (Transgender Visibility Day), and Dec. 17 (Wright Brothers Day) as a "legal" day of national observance.
If Trump doesn’t issue a proclamation — if his holiday push stops with a single social media post — May 8 will remain what it is now: a completely informal “holiday” like, say, National French Fry Day (July 11).
What May 8 probably won’t ever be is an actual federal holiday, like Memorial Day, Labor Day and Christmas Day. Only Congress has the power — under Title V of the United States Code — to designate one of those.
What about a day off? Will we get one?
That's very unlikely. For one thing, even federal holidays only ensure a day off for federal workers; states and private employers aren't technically required to observe them, though they usually do. And May 8 isn't a federal holiday.
Then there’s Trump’s own “declaration” to consider.
“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,” the president wrote. “There are not enough days left in the year. We were Workers then, and we are Workers now!”
So, in short, banks, shops and government offices will remain open. The mail will still be delivered. You’ll still have to pay your parking meter. And you’ll still have to go to work.
If nothing changes, what’s the point? Why is Trump doing this?
Nov. 11 is a bit of a mystery. It’s already Veterans Day, which is already a federal holiday. And Veterans Day grew out of Armistice Day, which the U.S. started to observe in the 1920s in order to commemorate… the end of World War I. Other countries still observe Armistice Day (or Remembrance Day) on Nov. 11.
May 8 is a slightly different story. Tuesday, 8 May 1945 — known as Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day — marked the surrender of all German military operations. (Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, came a few months later, marking the official end of World War II).
As Trump noted in his Truth Social post, V-E Day is celebrated as a national holiday across Europe. Right now, in fact, countries like France and England are commemorating its 80th anniversary with lavish, stately ceremonies.
Though the U.S. already observes several military holidays — Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, National Airbone Day, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and so on — there is no explicit commemoration of America’s role in winning World War II.
And given that “the Victory was only accomplished because of us,” as Trump put it, why not get in on the action and take a little “credit?”
After all, “everyone else does.”
