Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in Canada and is celebrated across the commonwealth countries. Remembrance day is previously known as Armistice Day”, and is also called Poppy Day. In Canada Remembrance day was first observed in 1919 in honor of Canada’s war history, starting from the First World War. In Canada and Commonwealth countries, the “11th Hour” silence for 2 minutes is the most important ceremony of Remembrance day.
The “11th Hour” referring to the official end of the first World war, which happened on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. From 1921 to 1930, Armistice Day was held on the Monday of the week in which November 11 falls. On November 11, 1931, the House of Commons passed the bill to rename “Armistice Day” to “Remembrance Day”. Till 1957, Canadian Thanksgiving day also celebrated along with Remembrance day.
Remembrance Day celebrates in the honor of the war, military, and paramedical staff, who served for the country. There were many ceremonies in large and small cities across the country to pay tribute to war heroes. Other than the “11th hour”, wearing a Poppy is another important ceremony associated with Remembrance day. In Canada, people start wearing poppies for about two weeks leading up to Remembrance Day. This is to show they remember and support the people who lost their lives in the war, Canadian armed force troops, and veterans.
The Act of Remembrance
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
We will remember them.
