25th November

STOP THE VIOLENCE!!!

Remembrance Day (11th November)

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, and in America it is called Veteran's day.

What is Poppy Day?
It is the day when many countries commemorate all the members of the armed forces who have given their lives in the line of duty since the First World War. It was first observed in 1919, however until 1945 it was called Armistice Day. Traditionally there are two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain) when the armistice became effective in 1918.

In the UK a ceremony is held on Remembrance Sunday in London at a war memorial called the Cenotaph. Many other ceremonies are held all over the UK to commemorate the sacrifice of civilians in times of war.

Why is it on 11th November?

The 11th November was chosen as Remembrance Day because the First World War officially came to an end on that day in 1918.

What is a poppy?
A poppy is a wild flower which is usually red. The poppies worn on Poppy Day in the UK are artificial and are usually made of two paper petals with a black plastic centre. The poppies do not cost anything though wearers are invited to give a donation.

Why were poppies chosen?
The poppy became recognised as the emblem of Remembrance Day as a result of a poem called "In Flanders' Fields" by John McCrae. Flanders is a region in northern Europe which saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the First World War. When the poppies started flowering across the battlefields their blood-red colour quickly became symbolic of the bloodshed that had occurred there.

  

Let's honor the sacrifice of civilians in times of war with a moment of silence watching this video:



2014: More than 800,000 ceramic poppies are being planted at the Tower of London. Watch a video to obtain detailed information.