5 Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day (It’s Not What You Think)
Veterans Day can stir up a mix of feelings: pride, reflection, maybe even a little discomfort with the attention. It’s a day meant to honor service, but that doesn’t always mean public events or big gestures. Sometimes the best way to mark the day is to turn inward, take stock, and reconnect in your own way.
Here are five simple ways to celebrate that don’t involve standing in a crowd or sitting through a ceremony.
1. Get Moving—For Yourself
You don’t need to run a marathon or do a charity event (unless you want to). Just move. Go for a long walk, hit the gym, or hike a local trail. Physical activity is one of the best ways to clear your head and reconnect with yourself.
Many veterans find that exercise brings back a sense of focus and calm that’s easy to lose in civilian life. Whether it’s a solo workout or meeting up with a friend for a casual game of basketball or pickleball, moving your body can be its own quiet form of celebration.
2. Reach Out to Someone You Served With
You don’t need a reunion to reconnect. Send a message, start a group chat, or jump on a quick video call with a few people from your unit or deployment. Even a short check-in can make a difference. Sometimes you’ll find they were thinking about reaching out too.
Talking with people who’ve shared similar experiences helps you reflect without having to explain everything. It’s a reminder that the bonds you built didn’t end when your service did.
3. Journal or Reflect—But Keep It Simple
You don’t have to write a novel. Try jotting down a few thoughts: What has your service taught you? What’s changed since then? What parts of that experience still shape how you live now?
If writing feels awkward, make it more practical. List three lessons from your time in service that still help you today, or three things you’re working toward next. Reflection doesn’t have to be heavy. It’s more about taking a moment to check in with yourself.
4. Do Something That Grounds You
This can be as basic as cooking your favorite meal, cleaning your space, or spending time outdoors. Veterans Day doesn’t have to feel like a performance. Doing something steady and familiar can be a way to honor the discipline and structure that service taught you without making it an event.
If mindfulness or meditation isn’t your thing, that’s fine. Sometimes just focusing on one task like fixing something, painting, or working on a project can give you the same sense of calm.
5. Help Another Veteran in a Small Way
Support doesn’t have to be formal. Maybe you text a buddy who’s been quiet lately, share a resource you found helpful, or check in with a new student veteran on campus. Those small gestures add up.
Helping someone else can also give you perspective on your own journey. Veterans Day is a day to be reminded of the collective experience, but the connections that matter most often happen one-on-one.
Celebrating Veterans Day doesn’t have to mean standing in formation or waving flags. It can be a quiet day of movement, reflection, connection, and care. Take the time to recognize what your service gave you and what you continue to build long after.