How do you say Veterans Day in Spanish? It is Día de los Veteranos, and in Mexico November has its own national holiday: el Día de la Revolución, on November 20. If you live between the United States and Mexico, or just talk to people in both, these are the two November dates worth knowing how to talk about in Spanish.
This guide covers what each holiday is, the Spanish words that go with them, and the one thing English speakers usually get wrong about the Mexican date.
Key Takeaways
- Veterans Day in Spanish is Día de los Veteranos. A veteran is un veterano or una veterana.
- Veterans Day is November 11 in the United States. It honors everyone who served in the military.
- Mexico’s Día de la Revolución commemorates November 20, the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
- The official day off in Mexico is the third Monday of November, not always the 20th. In 2026 that is Monday, November 16.
How do you say Veterans Day in Spanish?
Veterans Day in Spanish is el Día de los Veteranos. You will also hear el Día de los Veteranos de Guerra, which adds “of war.”
The person is un veterano for a man and una veterana for a woman. In the plural, los veteranos covers a mixed group.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Veterans Day | el Día de los Veteranos |
| a veteran | un veterano / una veterana |
| the armed forces | las fuerzas armadas |
| to serve in the military | servir en el ejército |
| a parade | un desfile |
| Thank you for your service. | Gracias por su servicio. |
Gracias por su servicio uses su, the formal “your,” which is the natural choice when you thank someone you do not know well.
What is Veterans Day?
Veterans Day is the U.S. holiday on November 11 that honors everyone who has served in the military. It started as Armistice Day, marking the end of fighting in World War I on November 11, 1918, and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
It is easy to confuse with Memorial Day. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memorial Day remembers those who died in service, while Veterans Day thanks everyone who served. In Spanish, Memorial Day is often translated as el Día de los Caídos, “the day of the fallen.”
If you are learning Spanish to talk with family, coworkers or friends on both sides of the border, holidays like these come up in real conversation. A free Spanish Roadmap Session is a good place to start planning that kind of Spanish.
What is el Día de la Revolución in Mexico?
El Día de la Revolución commemorates November 20, 1910, the start of the Mexican Revolution. It is one of Mexico’s national holidays, and in Spanish people usually just say el 20 de noviembre.
The detail that surprises people is the day off. Mexico’s Federal Labor Law sets the official rest day as el tercer lunes de noviembre en conmemoración del 20 de noviembre, the third Monday of November in honor of the 20th. That is how the Procuraduría Federal de la Defensa del Trabajo lists it. In 2026 the third Monday is November 16, so the legal day off falls on that Monday, not on Friday the 20th.
The Spanish you need for November holidays
- ¿Tienes puente? Do you have a long weekend? A puente is a “bridge,” the long weekend a Monday holiday creates.
- El lunes es día feriado. Monday is a holiday.
- ¿Qué se celebra el 20 de noviembre? What is celebrated on November 20?
- Mi papá es veterano. My dad is a veteran.
- Gracias por su servicio. Thank you for your service.
Veterans Day and Día de la Revolución side by side
| Veterans Day | Día de la Revolución | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | Mexico |
| Date | November 11 | November 20 |
| Official day off | November 11 | Third Monday of November |
| What it marks | Everyone who served in the military | The start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910 |
| Spanish name | el Día de los Veteranos | el Día de la Revolución |
Frequently Asked Questions
Veterans Day in Spanish is el Día de los Veteranos. A veteran is un veterano for a man and una veterana for a woman.
Gracias por su servicio. It uses su, the formal your, which fits when you are thanking someone you do not know well.
November 20 is el Día de la Revolución. It commemorates the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
The official day off is the third Monday of November, in honor of November 20. In 2026 that is Monday, November 16.
Learn the Spanish people actually use around the holidays
Holiday vocabulary sticks when you use it in real conversations. If you want a plan built around the Spanish you need, book a free Spanish Roadmap Session with Speak Better Spanish, or practice with others in our small-group conversation classes.
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What Our Students Say
Practical, real-world phrases are what make holiday Spanish useful. Here is what one of our students said.
Peter Martin · Google review, August 2023
I did Spanish conversation lessons with Hanna. She is an excellent teacher providing useful practical conversational with real world phrases and situations.
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