Remembrance Day 2023 (Canada): History, FAQs, Dates, Activities, and Facts

Remembrance Day 2023: On November 11, Canada (along with other Commonwealth nations comprising 53 member states, the majority of which were formerly British colonies) observes Remembrance Day. It has many of the same connotations as Veterans Day in the United States. Remembrance Day, which has been observed since the conclusion of World War I, actually coincides with Armistice Day, the date on which fighting ceased on the Western Front between the Allies and Germany.

The History of Observance Day

Upon 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, after over four years of nonstop hostilities, the cannons along the Western Front ceased firing. The Germans were driven back by the allied armies, which had suffered severe defeats against them over the previous four months. The Germans declared a ceasefire or armistice in November with the intention of negotiating a peace agreement. The parameters they agreed to with the allies constituted an unconditional surrender.

During the postwar period, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month acquired a particular significance. Across the board, the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front came to be symbolically linked with the commemoration of lives lost during the conflict. This initial global conflict of the modern era resulted in the deployment of more than seventy million individuals and claimed the lives of nine to thirteen million, with an estimated one-third of these individuals lacking known graves. This day and time were selected by the allied nations to honor their fallen soldiers.

In 1919, two minutes of silence was observed at the new Cenotaph in London as part of the principal commemorative ceremony on the first anniversary of the armistice. Fleet Street-based Australian journalist Edward Honey proposed the observeance of silence. Simultaneously, a South African statesman presented the British Cabinet with a comparable proposition, which received its approval.

Commemoration Day originated from the observance of Armistice Day. The monarch hosted a banquet at Buckingham Palace in remembrance of the French president on the initial Armistice Day. Later, throughout World War II, numerous nations altered the holiday’s appellation. The United States selected Veterans Day.

“Jour du Souvenir,” or Remembrance Day in Canada, continues to be a legally recognized holiday in six out of the ten provinces. During the 1920s, the Armistice Day Act stipulated that Canada would observe Thanksgiving on Armistice Day, which occurred on the Monday of the week that November 11th occurred. In 1931, the date was formally altered by the government to November 11. Additionally, the day was renamed Remembrance Day.

The date has been designated by Canada as a “remembrance day for the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict, and peace,” with a particular focus on the Korean War, the First and Second World Wars, and all subsequent conflicts in which Canadian Armed Forces personnel have been involved.

The official national ceremonies of Canada are conducted at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario, in accordance with a rigorous protocol. Representatives of the armed forces perform a service. The interment of the mortal remains of an unidentified Canadian soldier who perished in France throughout World War I took place in May 2000 at the National War Memorial’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

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FAQs on Remembrance Day

What is the significance of Remembrance Day?

Soldiers who fought valiantly for their nations not only during World War I, but in all conflicts, are honored on Remembrance Day.

In Canada, is Remembrance Day a statutory holiday?

The federal government designates Remembrance Day as a national holiday; however, its observance as a paid statutory holiday varies among provinces.

Does Germany observe the Day of Remembrance?

In lieu of commemorating the signing of the armistice, Germany observes an additional national day of bereavement.

How to Observe the Day of Remembrance

Dollop a crimson poppy into your lap.

The crimson poppy swiftly came to represent the bloodshed of soldiers on the Western Front following World War I. Atone for the casualties of other conflicts as well as World War I by affixing a poppy to the lapel of your shirt. Through this discreet yet significant act, you will be joining millions of Commonwealth citizens worldwide.

Engage in the two-minute nationwide moment of silence

Commemorate the time at which the Armistice was signed in 1918 by observing two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., alongside the rest of the nation. Throughout this period, Canadians cease all activities in remembrance of every soldier who was killed in the line of duty.

The poem “The Ode of Remembrance” should be cited.

“Ode of Remembrance” is a component of the poem “For the Fallen,” which was originally composed by Laurence Binyon in 1914. Its intended audience was British soldiers who lost their lives on the Western Front. Presently, it is recited in remembrance of every combatant who perished in the line of duty.

Five Facts regarding Remembrance day in Canada

The red poplar

Following the devastation of the battlefields, the Flanders poppy emerged first among the vegetation.

The numeral eleven

Canadians observe a moment of reverence annually at 11 o’clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in service to the nation.

Fortitude in numerals

Throughout its history, over 2,300,000 Canadians have devoted their lives to the preservation of harmony.

Replicate blossoms

In order to raise funds for veterans’ causes, the Royal Canadian Legion sells replica poppies on Remembrance Day.

The ceremony at the national level

In attendance at the national ceremony, which is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, are citizens, diplomatic representatives, state officials, and veterans’ organizations.