Remembrance Day honors the young soldiers who gave their lives in war. The observance traces back to the aftermath of World War I, with the armistice that ended fighting on November 11, 1918 and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Across many nations, the day serves as a moment to pause and reflect on the costs of war and the enduring value of peace.
The red poppy is a powerful symbol for remembrance. People begin wearing the flower in late October as a sign of respect for those who died in conflict. The poppy’s association with remembrance grew from the fields of Flanders in Belgium, where years of war produced a landscape of scarlet blossoms amid the devastation. The image of red petals rising from the soil became a lasting emblem after the poem In Flanders Field, written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, helped popularize this symbol.
November 11 carries a second meaning in the United States, where the date is observed as Veterans Day to honor those who served and returned home. In contrast, the dead are remembered on Memorial Day, which takes place in May. This distinction highlights different ways nations honor service and sacrifice.
Today Remembrance Day is observed across the Commonwealth and beyond, with ceremonies held in towns, schools, and public squares. A common ritual is a period of quiet at 11:00 a.m., lasting two minutes, when people pause to remember lives lost and to reflect on the meaning of peace for the present generation.
DID YOU KNOW?
- World War I earned its nickname the Great War because it was the first conflict to involve so many nations at once, and many believed it could be the last global struggle of that scale. The memory of that belief shapes Remembrance Day ceremonies even today.
- The Royal Canadian Legion advises that poppies be worn on the left lapel, as close to the heart as possible, to signify personal remembrance and solidarity with veterans.
- Some observers who oppose war while honoring the fallen choose to wear a white poppy as a different symbol of remembrance and peace.
- Purple poppies are used by some campaigns to recall both human and animal lives lost in war, acknowledging broader suffering and the cost of conflict.
- John McCrae, a Canadian physician, wrote In Flanders Fields in about twenty minutes and reportedly discarded the initial draft. A soldier found it, and the poem went on to become one of Canada’s most enduring literary works.