Armistice Day

Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day and Veterans Day, is the 11th November each year, and is marked in some way by many formerly allied nations around the world. In South Africa and Malta it is more commonly known as Poppy Day. It is a national holiday in France and Belgium. The date was chosen because of the story that the First World War ended at "the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" in 1918. For this reason, many countries observe two minutes' silence at 11 minutes past 11 on the morning of 11th November, when all work stops, and traffic comes to a halt.

Although originally instituted after the terrible toll of human lives on all sides during the World War I (at the time called "the Great War"), the central aim of remembering those killed in battle has been extended to cover other conflicts, from World War II onwards. The actual date when ceremonies of remembrance are carried out in the UK has been moved to the second Sunday in November, which is known as Remembrance Sunday.

In Poland, 11th November 1918 is celebrated as Independence Day, as this was the date on which Poland became reunited, having been divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria for 123 years.

In the church calendar, 11th November is also Martinmas, the Feast of St Martin of Tours, a saint who is famous for abandoning his life as a soldier to become a monk. This is why statues of St Martin are sometimes associated with this day.

Armistice Day services typically include a bugle playing The Last Post, the Silence, the Reveille, and followed by prayers and laying of wreaths (usually consisting mainly of red poppies). It is an important date in the civic calendar, so local dignitaries will always be present at one or other of the larger services.

The significance of the poppy is because the fields in Flanders were seen to be covered in poppies in the Spring of 1919, as indeed they have been every Spring since, and this has been taken as being symbolic of the blood that was shed. They were also mentioned in Lt. Col. John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields, which is a vivid and poignant memorial to World War I. It was written by Dr McCrae in 1915 during his service as a doctor in the Flanders battlefields.

Poppy Day

The sale of poppies in the UK started in 1921 and has taken place every year since then. Collectors appear in the streets and collection boxes are displayed on the counters of shops and catering premises. The proceeds of sale are used to support war veterans.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the Poppy appeal is run by the Royal British Legion and in Scotland by the Earl Haig Fund Scotland.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate this event, you might be interested in this article: Commemorations with Cross Stitch

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