Remembrance Day is an important memorial day observed in the United Kingdom and by many other countries across the globe.
It is a day to commemorate the contribution and loss of British and Commonwealth servicemen and women in the World Wars and all worldwide conflicts since.
When is Remembrance Day?
In the UK, Remembrance Day is held every year on the second Sunday of November.
Remembrance Day grew from, and is also closely linked to, Armistice Day.
Armistice Day is November 11. It marks the signing of the First World War-ending Armistice on November 11, 1918.
Armistice Day was originally dedicated to the remembrance of all fallen Commonwealth soldiers of the First World War. The day’s meaning changed following the slaughter of the Second World War.
The modern Remembrance Day is held on the Second Sunday of November each year and commemorates all British and Commonwealth service members who have died in conflicts worldwide since the First World War.
Remembrance Sunday is traditionally when the bulk of remembrance ceremonies, such as the parade past the Cenotaph, will take place in the UK, but events will take place on Armistice Day too.
When was the first Remembrance Day?
Spontaneous celebrations erupted across the United Kingdom when the Armistice was announced in November 1918.
Streets were lined with jubilant citizens celebrating the end of the conflict that had claimed so much from communities nationwide over the last four years.
The first official Armistice Day took place on November 11, 1919.
King George V led national ceremonies at Buckingham Palace including a great banquet while, up and down the country, events were held at local town and village war memorials.
Processions and wreath layings by veterans and civic dignitaries were part of these proceedings and have become integral to remembrance ceremonies.
From then on, Remembrance became an annual tradition.
As touched on above, Remembrance Day was officially moved from November 11 to November’s second Sunday.
The day was first moved during the Second World War when ceremonies were moved to the first Sunday of the month to avoid disruption to war material production.
At the end of World War Two, debate was held over whether to move the ceremonies back to November 11.
Many felt that continuing that practice would put too much focus on the First World War at the expense of the Second.
The Archbishop of Westminster suggested the second Sunday of November be renamed Remembrance Sunday in commemoration of both World Wars.
The Home Office approved and endorsed the change in January 1946 and so Remembrance Sunday was born. The major national Remembrance ceremonies are held on this day each year.
Why is there a two-minute silence on Remembrance Day?
Part of the original Remembrance ceremonies was a two-minute silence held as a mark of respect for those who died or were left behind by the war.
King George V conceived the silence so “the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead”.
The two-minute silence has become an integral part of Remembrance Day ceremonies. It is held at 11 o’clock on each Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.
11 o’clock was chosen as this was when the Armistice came into effect on the Western Front, bringing a halt to four years of fighting and killing on the battlefields of France and Flanders.
Who is commemorated on Remembrance Day?
Remembrance Day was originally focused on commemorating the dead of the First World War.
Since the Second World War, Remembrance Sunday commemorates those British and Commonwealth armed forces members killed in all wars and conflicts worldwide.
Commemoration is not restricted to any one military branch.
Personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Navy and other sections of the Armed Forces are remembered equally on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday. You can read more RAF remembrance stories and Royal Navy Remembrance stories in our blog.
How is Remembrance Day marked?
Remembrance and Armistice Day is marked in several ways, such as:
Two-minute silence – Among the most iconic remembrance ceremonies is the two-minute silence, a period of quiet contemplation on the loss of so many men and women lost to war worldwide
Poppy wearing – Instantly recognisable red poppies are worn to symbolise peace and loss. Different coloured poppies are available for different aspects of remembrance, such as black poppies commemorating black servicemen and women, white for pacifism, and purple to commemorate fallen animals
Wreaths – Poppy wreaths are laid at war memorials and on war graves around the world, becoming common sites at CWGC locations every November
Services – Thanksgiving and remembrance events are held at churches, town halls, temples, mosques, synagogues and war memorials and cemeteries nationwide
Processions – The sombre procession snaking its way past the Cenotaph in London may be the most famous, but veterans, servicemen, and more figures parade in cities, towns and villages worldwide on Remembrance Sunday.
Which countries celebrate Remembrance Day?
Remembrance Day is primarily celebrated in the United Kingdom.
It is also widely marked in the Commonwealth countries of India, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, alongside the other Commonwealth states that sent men and women to serve in the World Wars.
For some nations, Remembrance Day is the chief national day of commemoration, such as in the UK. In others, other memorial days take precedence, such as in Australia and New Zealand where ANZAC Day is the leading day of remembrance.
November 11 is also an important date in the commemoration calendar for non-Commonwealth states.
Armistice Day is a public holiday on November 11 in France and Belgium, for example, complete with gun salutes, two-minute silences, and parades.
Why are poppies worn on Remembrance Day?
Poppies are one of the most enduring symbols of remembrance.
Each year, they can be easily spotted pinned to the lapels of millions of people across the UK as the nation comes together in shared commemoration of its war dead.
The destruction wrought by the First World War turned once beautiful landscapes in France and Belgium in churning hellscapes of blood, mud, and wire; cratered-scared killing fields where men were cut down in their thousands.
Amidst the bleak carnage, small spots of beauty emerged. In the ground-up earth, small red poppies would flourish, little flashes of beauty amidst the carnage.
Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel and war poet John McRae immortalised the flowers in his iconic remembrance poem In Flanders Field’s first stanza:
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
McRae’s prose inspired American campaigner Moina Michael to push for the adoption of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance post-war. She lobbied governments and militaries, amongst other organisations, post-war, to bring attention to her remembrance campaign.
Further inspired by Michael, French Anna Guérin arrived in London in 1921, planning to sell artificial poppies for remembrance purposes.
Guérin met Field Marshal Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in the Western Front and a major proponent of veterans’ affairs and persuaded the former Great War general to adopt the poppy.
The newly formed Royal British Legion bought 9 million poppies to raise money to support veterans and sold them on November 11, selling out almost immediately.
From then on, the Poppy campaign has taken place every November.
The poppies, whether as real flowers, paper replicas or metal badges, continue to symbolise the loss, sacrifice, and commemoration of all victims of warfare.
Why is remembrance important?
Remembrance is important as it’s a poignant reminder of the sacrifice and loss experienced by people from all walks of life in times of war.
Other reasons why Remembrance Day is important include:
An opportunity for reflection – The liberties and freedoms we enjoy today came from the sacrifice made by so many from across the Commonwealth
Honouring the dead – While the Commonwealth War Graves Commission believes in perpetual commemoration, Remembrance Sunday provides a platform for national honouring of our war dead
Appreciation for peace – Remembrance services allow us to come together to appreciate the peace and freedoms we enjoy in some parts of the world today built on the sacrifice of previous generations
Communal history – Shared remembrance is an acknowledgement of our shared history and engaging with your local and national history is a key point of commemoration
Courtesy:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Tuesday, March 3, 2026