11/11/06 - International Commemoration?

[von Poop]

With Remembrance Sunday coming up I find myself wondering how many other countries mark this particular date in the same way as us?

If it's not the main event then what kind of ceremonies does your Country hold to commemorate those lost in War?

Cheers,
Adam.

[Cpl Rootes]

In UK its is REMEMBERANCE DAY

Some info about countrys courticy of good ol wiki:

In the United Kingdom, although two minutes' silence is observed on November 11 itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday. Ceremonies are held at local communities' War Memorials, usually organized by local branches of the Royal British Legion – an association for ex-servicemen. Typically, poppy wreaths are laid by local organisations including the Royal British Legion, ex-servicemen organisations, cadet forces, the Scouts, Guides, Boys' Brigade, St John Ambulance and the Salvation Army. "The Last Post" is played by a trumpeter or bugler, two minutes' silence is observed and broken by a trumpeter playing "Reveille". A minute's or two minutes' silence is also frequently incorporated into church services on that day. The main commemoration is held in Whitehall in central London, where the Queen, Prime Minister, and other senior political and military figures join with veterans to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph.

the day is a holiday for federal government employees. However, for private business, provincial governments, and schools, its status varies by province. In Western and Atlantic Canada it is a general holiday. In Ontario and Quebec, it is not a general holiday, although corporations that are federally registered may make the day a full holiday, or instead designate a provincially-recognized holiday on a different day. Schools usually hold assemblies for the first half of the day or on the school day prior with various presentations concerning the remembrance of the war dead. Thousands of people gather near the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Among the crowd, war veterans pay their respects to fallen sailors, soldiers, and airmen. The Act of Remembrance includes the playing of the Last Post, recitation of the Ode of Remembrance, which is a verse of the poem "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon, followed by Reveille.

In South Africa, the day is not a public holiday. Commemoration ceremonies are usually held on the following Sunday, at which, as with Australia and Britain, the "Last Post" is played by a bugler followed by the observation of a two-minute silence. The two biggest commemoration ceremonies to mark the event in South Africa are held in Johannesburg, at the Cenotaph (where it has been held for 84 consecutive years), and at the War Memorial at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

In Australia Remembrance Day is always observed on November 11, although the day is not a public holiday. Services are held at 11am at war memorials in suburbs and towns across the country, at which the "Last Post" is played by a bugler and a one-minute silence is observed. In recent decades, however, Remembrance Day has been partly eclipsed by ANZAC Day (April 25) as the national day of war commemoration.

Veterans Day is celebrated in the United States on the same date, but the function of the observance elsewhere is more closely matched by Memorial Day in May. In the United States and some other allied nations November 11 was formerly known as Armistice Day; in the United States it was given its new name after the end of World War II.

In Germany, Armistice or Remembrance Day is unknown. Public memory of World War I in Germany is generally scarce. Moreover, November 11 would be seen as an inappropriate date for such a holiday, as it traditionally marks the beginning of the German carnival. However, Volkstrauertag is commemorated. Originally this was on the fifth Sunday before Easter, but since 1952, has been celebrated two Sundays before the beginning of Advent. It has never been celebrated in the church since both the major German churches have their own festivals for commemorating the dead (All Saints Day in the case of the RC church, Ewigkeitssonntag, or "Eternity Sunday" in the case of the Lutheran church. Both festivals also fall in November.)

In Poland, November 11 marks the celebration of Independence Day, since it was on 1918-11-11 that Poland regained its independence after being divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria for 123 years.

[Paul Reed]

Why '07 and not this year?

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by Paul Reed

Why '07 and not this year?

whoops.
Because I'm an idiot.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Could you use your Mod powers to rectify it?
Apologies,
Adam.

[Paul Reed]

Ok - just wanted to check you didn't know something we all didn't!

[Rich Payne]

Here in Belgium, 11th November is a public holiday (wapenstilstand in Dutch). As it's a saturday this year we get an extra day.

In this village, there is a special mass with a wreath laying at the war memorial accompanied by the local brass band. The casualties here are mostly WW1 but also with a sprinkling of those killed in may 1940.

[Cpl Rootes]

so twit had the nerve to come and give my school an assembaly on rememberance day, demand that we all buy poppies, and wasn't even wearing 1 himself!!!

[von Poop]

Stood in the school playground today eyeing up the general scarcity of poppies (as you do when you're in 'miserable old ba**ard mode' & such cursory studies feel like logic ) it was lovely when the sprogs came out all sporting them, some two or three! Respect to the twits who visit schools!

(and who can blame him for not having a Poppy on, the damned things are surely designed to self destruct/disappear after approximately 0.7 days of wear... A cunning ruse by the Legion I suspect. )

[Harry Ree]

The original German Remembrance Day was exploited by the Nazi Party and it could be that the Remembrance Day brings back memories of the Nazi regime's special functions and celebrations.

In Germany, after World War 1,the dead were remembered on the fifth Sunday before Easter as "The National Day of Mourning".This day of mourning was also associated with the upkeep of German war cemeteries and was instigated by the Weimar Republic.It was effective until Hitler took power in January 1933.

Hitler remamed the day as "Heroes' Remembrance Day", and made it into a Public Holiday but included a political aspect to the day in that the introduction of conscription in 1935 and the remilitarisation of the Rhineland was also honoured on the fixed day of March 16th.It was intended to create Nazi reverance as the party began to dictate the new order to the German people.

[Owen]

Stood in the school playground today eyeing up the general scarcity of poppies

I must admit my poppy is on my work uniform.
But I always wear my WFA Badge so I have a couple of Poppies.
Still feel guilty though.