11-11-2011, 04:09 AM
Bill N.Y.Nov 11th Veterans Day/Remembrance Day
New Masthead for Nov 11th Veterans Day/Remembrance Day
November 11th is Veterans Day. America celebrated the day as Armistice day until 1954. That year it became officially recognized as Veterans Day.
Q. Why are red poppies worn on Veterans Day?
A. The wearing of poppies in honor America's war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day. The practice of wearing of poppies takes its origin from the poem "In Flanders Fields," written in 1915 by John McCrae of the canadian army.
Q. Is Veterans Day celebrated in other countries?quote:Originally posted by Raymag:
Let's not forget that, in the rest of the world, this day is known as Armistice Day (or also Remembrance Day).
It commemorates the end of the first World War, on the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.
A. Yes, a number of countries honor their veterans each year on November 11, although the name and types of commemorations differ somewhat from Veterans Day celebrations in the United States. For example, Canada and Australia observe "Remembrance Day" on November 11, and Great Britain observes "Remembrance Day" on the Sunday nearest to November 11.
There are similarities and differences between these countries' Remembrance Day and America's Veterans Day. Canada's observance is actually quite similar to the U.S. celebration, in that the day is intended to honor all who served in Canada's Armed Forces. However, unlike in the U.S., many Canadians wear red poppy flowers on November 11 in honor of their war dead. In Australia, Remembrance Day is very much like America's Memorial Day, a day to honor that nation's war dead.
In Great Britain, the day is commemorated by church services and parades of ex-service members in Whitehall, a wide ceremonial avenue leading from London's Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. Wreaths of poppies are left at the Cenotaph, a war memorial in Whitehall, which was built after the First World War. At the Cenotaph and elsewhere in the country, a two-minute silence is observed at 11 a.m., to honor those who lost their lives in wars.
Taken from the Veterans Administration FAQ website
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