Remembrance Day
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{{Infobox Holiday
|holiday_name = Remembrance Day
|official_name = Remembrance Day
|image = Lest we forget.jpg
|caption = Poppy worn on lapel
|nickname = Poppy Day, [[Armistice Day]]
|observedby = [[Commonwealth of Nations]]
|date = [[November 11]]
|observances = Parades, silences
|longtype =
|type = international
|significance = Commemorates Commonwealth war dead
|relatedto = [[Veterans Day]]
}}
{{portalpar|Holidays|Calendar icon.svg}}
'''Remembrance Day''' also known as '''Poppy Day''', '''[[Armistice Day]]''' (the event it commemorates), or '''[[Veterans Day]]''' in the [[United States]] is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of [[war]], specifically since the [[World War I|First World War]]. It is observed on [[11 November]] to recall the end of World War I on that date in [[1918]]. The day was specifically dedicated by King [[George V of the United Kingdom|George V]], on [[7 November]], [[1919]], to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war; this was possibly done upon the suggestion of [[Edward George Honey]] to [[Wellesley Tudor Pole]], who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.<ref name="lRSA">{{cite web | publisher=rsa.org.nz | title=The Remembrance Ceremony | url=http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/rsa_hist_ceremony.html | accessdaymonth=7 November | accessyear=2006}}</ref><ref name="networkoflight">{{cite web | publisher=networkoflight.org| title=The Lamplighter Movement | url=http://www.networkoflight.org/links/lamplighter6.htm | accessdaymonth=7 November | accessyear=2006}}</ref>
==Observance in the Commonwealth==
[[Image:Remembrance march.jpeg|right|thumb|right|250px|Remembrance Day, London, 2006.]]
Common British, Canadian, South African, and [[ANZAC Day|ANZAC]] traditions include two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00 am, [[11 November]]), as that marks the time (in the United Kingdom) when [[armistice]] became effective.
The Service of Remembrance in many [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries generally includes the playing of the "[[Last Post]]," followed by the requisite two minutes of silence, followed again by the playing of "[[Reveille]]" (or, more commonly, "[[The Rouse]]"), and finished by a recitation of the "[[Ode of Remembrance]]." The "[[Flowers of the Forest|Scottish Bagpiper's Lament]]", "[[O Valiant Hearts]]", "[[I Vow to Thee, My Country]]" and "[[And did those feet in ancient time]]" are often played during the service. Services also include wreaths laid to honour the fallen, a blessing, and National Anthems.<ref>[http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=feature/vetweek/comm_guide#service|1 A Guide to Commemorative Services - Veterans Affairs Canada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Australia===
In [[Australia]] Remembrance Day is always observed on [[11 November]], although the day is not a public holiday. Services are held at 11am at war memorials in suburbs and towns across the two countries, at which the "Last Post" is played by a bugler and a one-minute silence is observed. In recent decades, however, Remembrance Day has been partly eclipsed by [[ANZAC Day]] ([[25 April]]) as the national day of war commemoration.
===Bermuda===
[[Image:Rembrance Day Parade Bermuda.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Remembrance Day Parade, Hamilton, Bermuda, 1991.]]
In Bermuda, which sent the first colonial volunteer unit to the [[Western Front]] in 1915, and which had more people per capita in uniform during the [[Second World War]] than any other part of the Empire, Remembrance Day is still an important holiday. The parade in Hamilton had historically been a large and colourful one, as contingents from the Royal Navy, British Regular Army, the local Territorial units, the Canadian Forces, the US Army, Air Force, and Navy, and various cadet corps and other services were all contributed at one time or another to march with the veterans. Since the closing of British, Canadian, and American bases in 1995, the parade has barely grown smaller. In addition to the ceremony held in the City of [[Hamilton, Bermuda|Hamilton]] on Remembrance Day itself, marching to the Cenotaph (a smaller replica of the one in London), where wreathes are lain and orations made, a smaller military parade is also held in [[St. George, Bermuda|St. George's]] on the nearest Sunday to Remembrance Day.
===Canada===
In [[Canada]], Remembrance Day is a holiday for [[Government of Canada|federal government]] employees; for private business, provincial governments, and schools, its status varies by province: in Western Canada and Atlantic Canada, it is a general holiday; in [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]], it is not, although corporations that are federally registered may make the day a full holiday, or instead, designate a provincially-recognized holiday on a different day.
[[Image:Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with poppies.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Poppies are laid on the [[Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]] on Remembrance Day in [[Ottawa]].]]
The official national ceremonies are held at the [[National War Memorial (Canada)|National War Memorial]] in [[Ottawa]], presided over by the [[Governor General of Canada]], any members of the [[Monarchy of Canada#Canadian Royal Family|Canadian Royal Family]], the [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]], and other dignitaries, to the observance of the public. Typically, these events begin with the tolling of the Carillon in the [[Peace Tower]], during which serving members of the [[Canadian Forces]] arrive at Confederation Square, followed by the Ottawa [[diplomatic corps]], [[Minister of the Crown|Ministers of the Crown]], special guests, the [[Royal Canadian Legion]] (RCL), the [[Viceroy|vice-regal]] party, and, if present, the royal party. Before the start of the ceremony, four armed [[General Orders for Sentries|sentries]] and three sentinels – two flag sentinels and one nursing sister – are posted at the foot of the cenotaph.
The arrival of the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] is announced by a trumpeter sounding the "Still," whereupon the [[viceroy]] is met by the Dominion President of the RCL and escorted to a [[dais]] to receive the Vice-Regal Salute, after which the [[national anthem]], "[[O Canada]]," is then played. The moment of remembrance begins with the bugling of "[[Last Post]]" immediately before 11:00 am, at which time the gun salute fires and the bells of the Peace Tower toll the hour. Another gun salute signals the end of the two minutes of silence, and cues the playing of a [[lament]], and then the bugling of "[[The Rouse]]." A [[flypast]] of Canadian Air Command craft then occurs at the start of a [[21-gun salute|21 gun salute]], upon the completion of which a choir sings "[[In Flanders Fields|In Flanders Fields]]." The various parties then lay their wreaths at the base of the memorial; one wreath is set by the [[Silver Cross Mother]], the most recent recipient of the [[Memorial Cross]], on behalf of all mothers who lost children in any of Canada's armed conflicts. The royal and/or vice-regal group return to the dias to receive the playing of the [[Royal Anthem]] of Canada, "[[God Save the Queen]]," prior to the assembled Armed Forces personnel and veterans performing a [[March (music)|March Past]] in front of the royal and/or viceregal persons, bringing about the end of the official ceremonies.<ref>[http://www.legion.ca/asp/docs/feature/RemDay_e.asp Royal Canadian Legion: National Remembrance Day Ceremony 2007]</ref> A tradition of paying more personal tribute to the sacrifice of those who have served and lost their lives in defence of the country has emerged since erection of the [[Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier|The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]] at the War Memorial in [[2000]]. After the official ceremony the general public pay their respects by placing their poppies atop the Tomb.
[[Image:Remebrance Day parade2.JPG|400px|thumb|right|The military Remembrance Day parade in [[Ottawa]].]]
Similar ceremonies take place in provincial capitals across the country, officiated by the relevant [[Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)|Lieutenant Governor]], as well as in other cities, towns, and even hotels or corporate headquarters. Schools will usually hold special assemblies for the first half of the day, or on the school day prior, with various presentations concerning the remembrance of the war dead. The largest indoor ceremonies are believed to be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with over 7,000 gathering in [[Credit Union Centre]].<ref>{{cite news| first = Janet| last = French| authorlink = | author = Janet French| coauthors = | title = First Nations vets remember at Wanuskewin| url = http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=66b748ba-0a1a-4289-b6e3-14adfdca1b3c| format = | work = | publisher = StarPhoenix| id = | pages = | page = | date = 2007-11-13| accessdate = 2007-11-13| language = | quote = | archiveurl = | archivedate = }}</ref>
===New Zealand===
[[New Zealand]] recognises the day as [[Armistice Day]]; events and ceremonies are similar to [[#Australia|those in Australia]].
===Papua New Guinea===
In [[Papua New Guinea]], New Guinea marks Remembrance Day.<ref name="SMH">{{cite web | publisher=Sydney Morning Herald | title=Papua New Guinea marks Remembrance Day | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Papua-New-Guinea-marks-Remembrance-Day/2007/07/23/1185043012240.html | accessdaymonth=11 November | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
===South Africa===
In [[South Africa]], the day is not a public holiday. Commemoration ceremonies are usually held on the following Sunday, at which, as with Australia and Britain, the "Last Post" is played by a bugler followed by the observation of a two-minute silence. The two biggest commemoration ceremonies to mark the event in South Africa are held in [[Johannesburg]], at the Cenotaph (where it has been held for 84 consecutive years), and at the War Memorial at the [[Union Buildings]] in [[Pretoria]].
===United Kingdom===
[[Image:Westminsterabbeypoppies.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Memorials outside London's [[Westminster Abbey]] for Remembrance Day, 2002.]]
In the [[United Kingdom]], although two minutes of silence is observed on [[11 November]] itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, [[Remembrance Sunday]]. Ceremonies are held at local [[war memorial]]s, usually organised by local branches of the [[Royal British Legion]] – an association for ex-servicemen. Typically, poppy wreaths are laid by representatives of the Crown, the armed forces, and local civic leaders, as well as by local organisations including ex-servicemen organisations, [[Cadets|cadet forces]], the [[The Scout Association|Scouts]], [[Girlguiding UK|Guides]], [[Boys' Brigade]], [[St John Ambulance]] and the [[Salvation Army]]. The start and end of the silence is often also marked by the firing of a cannon. A minute's or two minutes' silence is also frequently incorporated into [[church]] services, and even everyday locations such as supermarkets and banks may invite their customers and staff to fall silent at 11:00 am.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web | publisher=BBC | title=War dead remembered | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/515640.stm | accessdaymonth=5 August | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
The main national commemoration is held at [[Whitehall]], in [[Central London]], for dignitaries, the public, and ceremonial detachments from the armed forces and civilian uniformed services such as the Merchant Navy, [[Her Majesty's Coastguard]], etc. Members of the [[British Royal Family]] walk through the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] towards the cenotaph, assembling to the right of the monument to wait for [[Big Ben]] to strike 11:00 am, and for the King's Troop, [[Royal Horse Artillery]] at [[Horse Guards Parade]], to fire the cannon marking the commencement of the 2 minutes of silence. Following this, "The Last Post" is played by the buglers of the [[Royal Marines]]. "The Rouse" is then played by the trumpeters of the Royal Air Force, after which, to [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s "Death March," wreaths are laid by attendees in the following order: the Queen; senior members of the Royal Family attending in military uniform; the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]; the leaders of the major political parties from all parts of the United Kingdom; [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] [[High Commissioner]]s to London, on behalf of their respective nations; the [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]], on behalf of the [[British overseas territory|British Dependencies]]; the [[Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Defence Staff]]; the [[First Sea Lord]]; the [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the General Staff]]; the [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]]; representatives of the [[Ship transport|merchant navy]] and Fishing Fleets and the merchant air service. Junior members of the Royal Family usually watch the service from the balcony of the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office]]. The service is generally conducted by the [[Bishop of London]], with a choir from the [[Chapel Royal|Chapels Royal]], in the presence of representatives of all major faiths in the United Kingdom. Before the marching commences, the members of the Royal Family and public sing the [[National Anthem of the United Kingdom|national anthem]] before the Royal Delegation lead out after the main service.
Members of the [[British Police Cadets|Metropolitan Police Cadets]] and [[Army Cadets|British Army Cadets]] join in with the marching, alongside [[paramedic]]s from [[St. John Ambulance]] and the [[London Ambulance Service]], and conflict veterans from [[World War I|WW1]], [[World War II|WW2]], [[Falklands War|the Falklands]], [[Kosovo War|Kosovo]], [[War in Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]], [[The Troubles|Northern Ireland]] and the ongoing conflicts in [[War in Afghanistan (2001-present)|Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq War|Iraq]]. After the service, there is a parade of veterans, who also lay wreaths at the foot of the Cenotaph as they pass, and a salute is taken by a member of the Royal Family at Horse Guards Parade.
==Outside the Commonwealth==
{{Nofootnotes|date=February 2008}}
===United States===
[[Veterans Day]] is commemorated in the [[United States]] on [[11 November]], and is both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states. However, the function of the observance elsewhere is more closely matched by [[Memorial Day]] in May. In the United States, and some other allied nations, [[11 November]] was formerly known as [[Armistice Day]]; in the United States it was given its new name after the end of World War II. Most schools, particularly more [[middle schools|middle]] and [[high school]]s than some [[elementary school]]s, throughout the U.S. usually hold assemblies on a school day prior, with various presentations recognizing teachers and staff members who served in one of the five branches of the [[United States Armed Forces]], as well as remembering the U.S. troops who died in past and present wars, and some patriotic music by a school choir, band and/or orchestra, including songs from a musical used as a tribute to the troops (e.g. "Bring Him Home" from ''[[Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables]]'').
=== Germany ===
In [[Germany]], Armistice or Remembrance Day is unknown. Public memory of World War I in Germany is generally scarce. Moreover, [[11 November]] would be seen as an inappropriate date for such a holiday, as it traditionally marks the beginning of the German [[carnival]]. However, ''[[Volkstrauertag]]'' is commemorated. Originally this was on the fifth Sunday before Easter, but since 1952, has been celebrated two Sundays before the beginning of [[Advent]]. It has never been celebrated in the church since both the major German churches have their own festivals for commemorating the dead ([[All Souls Day]] in the case of the Roman Catholic church, ''[[Ewigkeitssonntag]]'', or "Eternity Sunday" in the case of the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] church. Both festivals also fall in November.) {{Facts|date=November 2007}}
=== Anglican and Roman Catholics ===
For [[Anglican]] and [[Roman Catholic]] [[Christianity|Christians]], there is a coincidental but appropriate overlap of Remembrance Day with the feast of [[St. Martin's Day|St. Martin of Tours]], a saint famous for putting aside his life as a soldier and turning to the peace-filled life of a monk. Statues or images associated with St. Martin are for this reason sometimes used as symbols of Remembrance Day in religious contexts (e.g., the Anglican Cathedral of Montreal).
==Poppies==
[[Image:RemembrancePoppies.jpg|thumb|right|Wreaths of artificial [[corn poppy|poppies]] used as a symbol of remembrance.]]
[[Image:Remebrance poppy ww2 section of Aust war memorial.jpg|thumb|150px|Poppies are sold every year as an act of remembrance to fallen soldiers at war.]]
The [[poppy]]'s significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician [[John McCrae]]'s poem ''[[In Flanders Fields]]''. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of [[Flanders]] in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of [[trench warfare]]. A Frenchwoman, [[Anna E. Guérin]], introduced the widely used artificial poppies given out today. Some people choose to wear [[White poppy|white poppies]], which emphasises a desire for peaceful alternatives to military action.
===Canada===
In Canadian tradition, the poppy is worn by many members of society during the two weeks prior to [[November 11]]. Until 1996, poppies were made by disabled veterans in [[Canada]], but they have since been made by a private contractor.<ref>[http://www.legion.ca/asp/docs/rempoppy/allabout_e.asp THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION - Poppy & Remembrance » All About the Poppy<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===United Kingdom===
In [[England]], [[Wales]], and [[Northern Ireland]] the poppies are the flat [[Earl Haig]] variety with a leaf. Wearers require a separate pin to attach the poppy to their clothing. Because the poppy honours soldiers in the British Army, in Northern Ireland it is worn primarily by members of the Unionist community.
===Poppy variations===
In [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Scotland]] the poppies are curled at the petals with no leaf. The [[Canadian]] poppies consist of two pieces and a pin to attach them to clothing. The head portion of the pin is bent at an angle in a simple unusual design that requires a unique machine at manufacturing. For many years the centre of the Canadian poppy was both black and green (from two small concentric circles made of felt - the outer was green and the inner was black); current designs are black only.
In [[Sri Lanka]] in the inter-war years, there were rival sales of yellow ''Suriya'' ([[portia tree]]) flowers by the [[Suriya-Mal Movement]] on Remembrance Day, since funds from poppy sales were not used for Sri Lankan [[ex-service]] personnel but were repatriated to Britain. However, nowadays poppy sales are used for indigenous ex-service personnel who have been disabled in the ongoing [[Sri Lankan Civil War|civil war]].
==Name==
"Remembrance Day" is the primary designation for the day in many [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries such as [[Australia]] and [[Canada]]. However, "[[Armistice Day]]" also remains, often to differentiate the event from [[Remembrance Sunday]], and is the primary designation used in [[New Zealand]] and [[France]].
"Poppy Day" is also a popular term used, particularly in [[Malta]] and [[South Africa]]. [[Veterans Day]] also falls upon this day in the [[United States]], yet many other allied nations have quite different Veterans Days.
==See also==
* [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)]]
* [[Hari Pahlawan]]
* [[Veterans Day]]
* [[Unknown Warrior]]
* [[Remembrance Sunday]]
* ''[[In Flanders Fields]]'' (poem by John McCrae)
* [[Royal Canadian Legion]]
* [[Veterans' Bill of Rights]]
* [[Returned & Services League of Australia]]
* [[Haig Fund|Earl Haig Fund]]
* [[Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association]]
* [[Anzac Day]]
* [[Lest We Forget]]
* [[Remembrance Day Bombing]]
* [[Armistice Day]]
* [[White Poppy]]
* [[Volkstrauertag]]
* [[Collective memory]]
==External links==
{{commonscat|Remembrance Day (Canada)}}
{{commonscat|Remembrance Day (United Kingdom)}}
*[http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/poppy_hist.html The History of Poppy Day]
*[http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=783036405832086511&hl=en-GB Video record of Remembrance day rituals 2005 in South London]
*[http://www.poppy.org The Poppy Appeal]
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
6. "The Origin of the Two Minutes of Silence,"in ''Our Empire,'' vol. VI, no 8, 1931, p. 27.
==References==
* [http://www.rsa.org.nz/ Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association]
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/customs/poppies.htm Commemoration - Red poppies]
* [http://www.legion.ca Royal Canadian Legion]
* [http://www.rsl.org.au/ Returned & Services League of Australia]
[[Category:Remembrance days]]
[[Category:Holidays in Canada]]
[[Category:Holidays in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:November observances]]
[[Category:World War I]]
[[Category:Aftermath of World War II]]
[[Category:Military life]]
[[Category:Military veterans' affairs]]
[[de:Volkstrauertag]]
[[fr:Jour du souvenir]]
[[ko:영령 기념일]]
[[it:Remembrance Day]]
[[nl:Remembrance Day]]
[[ja:国民哀悼の日]]
[[pl:Dzień Pamięci]]
[[sv:Hågkomstens dag]]
[[zh:國殤紀念日]]