When is Victory Day in RI? Everything to know about the holiday
On Monday, August 11, the Ocean State will observe Victory Day, which marks the end of World War II with the surrender of Japan on Aug. 14, 1945.
Published Caption: AT RIGHT: The Providence Journal’s front page for Aug. 15, 1945, proclaimed it the “Victory Edition.” [The Providence Journal, file photos]
When is Victory Day?
Recognized in Rhode Island since 1948, Victory Day is among the 11 state holidays listed on the Rhode Island Secretary of State's website. It's celebrated on the second Monday of August.
Why are some people critical of Victory Day?
Rhode Island is the only state that observes Victory Day, and it's come under some criticism in recent years. Critics have said it singles out the Japanese people and also celebrates the use of atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to Japan's surrender. Supporters note that the United States went to war with Japan only after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and many Rhode Islanders fought and died in the war.
What's open, closed on Victory Day?
Services like trash collection will be postponed. For example, Providence city offices are closed, and trash scheduled for pickup Monday will be collected Tuesday.
In most cases, federal offices will stay open. The U.S. Postal Service will deliver the mail, and post offices will be open, but the U.S. District Court in Providence will be closed.
Retail stores will be open.
Why does Trump want to rename Veterans Day to Victory Day?
Trump said on social media that he's pushing to rename Veterans Day and to formally recognize May 8 in the United States as a way to acknowledge Americans' efforts in World Wars I and II. "We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything − That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore, that know how to do so!" he wrote on Truth Social.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.
Will Rhode Island rename Victory Day?
In 2024, a public hearing was held on Rep. Jennifer Stewart's bill to change the name of the holiday that falls on the second Monday of August from "Victory Day" to "Peace and Remembrance Day."
Despite its official name, the bill that sparked this heated exchange, H7326, notes that Victory Day is still known to many as "Victory over Japan Day ... given the proximity of the holiday's date" to the use of the atomic bombs on Japan and the announcement, soon after, of Japan's surrender.
Changing the name to "Peace & Remembrance Day," would "recognize that the U.S. engaged in racially discriminatory treatment of first and second generation Japanese Americans residing on its mainland ... [and that] historians have cast doubt on the military necessity of using the atomic bombs," the bill reads.
"This bill is one more attempt to whitewash our history and erase our past," wrote Tom Padwa of Warren. "Yes, the atomic bomb attacks on Japan had horrific consequences, but let's not forget that they happened."
That bill was held for further study.
With reports by Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal staff writer.
