Last night I caught a bit of the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance 2024. We will watch it in full today. It was an impressive event. I have included the link if anyone wants to join us in doing that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HurhWjpRkD4
As the clock struck 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, the guns fell silent along the Western Front, marking the end of hostilities in what was described as “the war to end all wars.”. Therefore, each year on November 11, the United States, the United Kingdom and many nations worldwide pause to remember and honour their military personnel. Today we are grateful, and thank those we know and meet for their service.
In American, this observance is Veterans Day, while in the UK and other Commonwealth countries, it is known as Remembrance Day, also called Poppy Day. Though these holidays share historical roots, they differ in tone, traditions, and focus, reflecting each nation’s unique approach to honouring those who served in the wars.
Veterans Day and Remembrance Day both originated in response to the immense losses of World War I. They date back to 1919, marking the end of the war on November 11, 1918, when an armistice agreement was signed between Allied nations and Germany. Originally known as Armistice Day, this initial observance was to honour those who served in World War I and reflect on the cost of conflict.
As time passed, however, each country’s approach evolved, with the United States eventually broadening the day to encompass veterans of all wars, while the UK and Commonwealth countries expanded their focus to honour all who died in military service, not only in World War I but also in conflicts since.
In the U.S. in 1938 Armistice Day became an official U.S. holiday to honour World War I veterans. However, after World War II and the Korean War, there was a movement to recognize veterans of all wars. In 1954, Congress amended the holiday, renaming it Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans. The emphasis is on recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of veterans who are still with us and acknowledging their service across all eras. Veterans Day in the United States has a celebratory quality, focusing on gratitude toward all who have served in the military, both living and deceased. Parades, community events, and speeches in honour of veterans are common across the country, contributing to a day of national pride and respect for those who answered the call to serve. One of the most prominent observances take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, where wreaths are laid, and a moment of silence is held.
In contrast, Remembrance Day in the UK and Commonwealth countries is a much more solemn occasion, dedicated primarily to remembering the fallen. The day has a reflective tone, honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice, with a particular focus on those who died in World War I, World War II, and subsequent conflicts.
The red poppy, inspired by John McCrae’s famous poem “In Flanders Fields,” has become a symbol of remembrance in these nations, worn by millions in the days leading up to November 11 as a tribute to the lives lost in war. In the Festival of Remembrance video poppies play a prominent part. Poppy wreaths are laid at war memorials across the country, including the Cenotaph in London, where a formal ceremony is held each year with members of the royal family, government officials, and military leaders
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
The observance often includes two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., a reflective gesture marking the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,” symbolizing the moment the armistice went into effect in 1918. I remember the phrase well, even as a very young child in school the two-minute silence was observed.
So today, we honour and reflect on those who served in the wars, I can’t help but think about the current world situation and how unstable it seems to be — a solemn time. It makes the words of the psalmist in today’s lectionary reading even more poignant.
“For G*d alone my soul in silence waits,
truly, my hope is in G*d.
G*d alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.” (62. 6-7)
(Photos: Poppies at our house, Arlington cemetery, war memorial where my great-uncle is honoured)
