Nov 11, 2022
What is Remembrance Day?
In the UK, Remembrance Day honours the men and women who have died in conflicts since the First World War.
It takes place every year on 11th November and is marked by a two minutes’ silence at 11am. Remembrance Sunday falls on the second Sunday of November.
On Remembrance Day, local ceremonies take place in small villages and major cities alike — a reminder of how many people sacrificed their lives for the country.
History of Remembrance Day
On the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, the guns fell silent. The 1918 armistice of the First World War marked the end of one of the deadliest conflicts in human history.
To commemorate the anniversary of the peace in 1919, King George V dedicated November 11th as Armistice Day and requested the nation pause for two minutes’ silence. In 1939, the main commemorations were moved to a Sunday.
The government renamed Armistice Day as Remembrance Day as a way to honour those who had fought and died in the Second World War. Today, the event is a way to commemorate those who have died in any war — not just the First and Second World Wars.
Lest We Forget