Remembrance Day (also known as
Poppy Day) is a
memorial day observed in
Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the
First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. The day, specifically designated by King
George V on 7 November 1919, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month", in accordance with
the armisticesigned by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the
passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.) The First World War officially ended with the signing of the
Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. The memorial evolved out of
Armistice Day, which continues to be marked on the same date. The initial Armistice Day was observed at
Buckingham Palace, commencing with King George V hosting a "Banquet in Honour of the President of the
French Republic" during the evening hours of 10 November 1919. The first official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace the following morning. The red
remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem
In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of
Flanders in World War I; their brilliant red colour became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.
Padre Arthur King noted how terrorism has changed war. “We are living in a time when the face of the enemy has changed,” said Padre King. “They have committed atrocities even in our very midst.”