Remembrance day.

Posted byAngelaPosted inBelgium, Canada, France, General, United StatesTags:, , ,

On November 11, 1918, an Armistice agreement was signed at Le Françoise near Compiegne (France), which ended the fighting on land, sea and air in the World War I. The signed agreement by French Marshal Ferdinand Foch came into force at 11:00 Paris time, November 11, 1918. Since then, Remembrance Day has been established as Memorial Day.

Each year, Canadians pause in a minute of silence to honor the memory of the people who fought heroically and died on the battlefield.

Together with Canada, many countries such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Cayman Islands, the United States, Australia and South Africa observe the tradition of Remembrance Day at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Depending on the nation, Memorial Day may have an altered name like Armistice Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Poppy Day, but all nations respectfully honor the memory of people died in the war.

In 1921, a tradition began wearing red poppies on the chest in memory of those who died in military conflicts.

Of course, the poppy would not have become such a sacred symbol if it hadn’t been depicted in art. Canadian physician Lt. Col. John McCrae wrote the military poem “In Flanders Fields.“ He glorified red poppies which grew on graves of fallen soldiers, on the fields of France and Belgium, where the bloodiest battles of the First World War took place. Red color of poppies was associated with blood spilled on the battlefield.
Now red poppies are one of the world’s most recognizable memorial symbols in memory of soldiers who died in battle.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
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.

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
~ May 3, 1915

(As published in Punch Magazine, December 8, 1915)

The little red flower will never die, and the memories of the fallen in battle will be always strong.

Thank you !

32 thoughts on “Remembrance day.”

  2. Always found it endearing that anglo-saxons adopted the “coquelicot” as a symbol. We (frogs) don’t. It’s all right. For me it is the day to remember my grandfather who went to war in 1914, with 8 brothers. His brother-in-law was killed in September 14. The last of his brothers was killed in action in September 1918. Only my grandfather and 2 brothers came home… I have all their death certificates. The French Ministry of Defence digitalized all 1 million and something death certificates in a giant memory effort. Well done.
    In a day where many seem ready to go to war again, let us remember the fallen and those who made it home.

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    1. This is why it is so important to remember the horrors of war and those who died and survived. Sincerely thank you for sharing your story. It is very important. We really must not only remember and honor the memory of those killed in the terrible war, but also learn from this.

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      1. My brothers and I were the first in our family to never go to war. (Though I did a year in the Army. Military service). And we knew those who had fought in WWI and WWII. (They didn’t speak much about it though) But those second-hand memories will go away with us…

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  6. Beautiful tribute. I wrote a blog article for this occasion titled ” What does it take to be a hero?” Heroes are admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or their noble qualities. But the majority of us lack the motivation or ability to become a hero. But just as mythology is populated by almighty gods but also less powerful demi-gods, it is perfectly feasible to contemplate the concept of a demi-hero. A demi-hero may lack the courage to dodge a hail of bullets but can cultivate a value system and commit to staying on course even when the obstacles that confront them are immense. Such actions are undoubtedly heroic. I explore this fascinating subject in my latest blog article http://www.authorjoannereed.net/to-be-a-hero/. Check it out!

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    1. Very interesting thoughts and very true. Thank you for sharing! I think this is a very complicated word “hero” and hard to predict who is the hero would be. In real situations we don’t know our reaction and what we will do. Someone can be a hero, but someone can be lost, scared, run away, etc. and you can’t blame them too……. Very interesting topic!Thank you!

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    1. Pas de soucis. Merci beaucoup de visiter mon blog. J’espère que tu vas bien. Restez en sécurité et en bonne santé!

      No worries. Thank you very much for visiting my blog. Hope you are doing well. Stay safe and healthy!

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