On Friday, November 11th we will observe Remembrance Day across the country. This is a very special day in Canada. We remember and honour our fallen soldiers, the men and women who were killed in war fighting for Canada.
In almost every town and city across the country there is a war memorial, a statue or monument with the names of the men and women from that town or city who were killed in battle. Across Canada there will be ceremonies at the war memorials, and people will lay wreaths in remembrance. When I was a student, we always attended a Remembrance Day ceremony at school.
Remembrance Day is always on November 11th. This is to remember the official end of World War I. The armistice (the agreement to end the war) was signed with Germany on November 11th, 1918, and the war officially ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. We observe a moment of silence at 11:00am.
The poppy is the Flower of Remembrance in Canada. During WWI, Canadian soliders fought mostly in France and Belgium. In an area of Beligum called Flanders, poppies (a type of flower) grew wild in the fields. The poppy was chosen as a symbol of remembrance because of a well-known poem written by a Canadian soldier:
Today, people across Canada wear lapel poppies (pins that can be attached to the front of a jacket). People donate money to the Royal Canadian Legion (the national veterans’ group), and in return they are given a lapel poppy to wear.
The fourth verse of the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon is often recited at Remembrance Day ceremonies, and it is sometimes written on the tombstones of fallen soliders. It is now known as the Ode of Remembrance:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Melanie is a TESL-certified English teacher. She lives near Toronto, Canada. Through her blog, videos, podcasts, and social media, she helps thousands of people around the world improve their English. She makes English a little less confusing and a little more fun! She also helps people understand Canadian and American culture. She believes that natural interaction with a native speaker helps people practice what they have learned and builds their confidence with English!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Remembering the fallen soldiers, at least I think, is a good and proper thing. They fought for their own country and their descendants. I'm not saying wars themselves are good.
In Japan, the fallen soldiers during the last war are said to be deified at Yasukuni Shrine. Some people say the prime ministers should go there on August 15 th, while some say they shouldn't. This obviously has something to do with political and diplomatic issues.
I'd like to read your articles on Canada continuously, because everything written there is fresh to me.
Thank you, TeacherMelanie!
Hi, Masanori!
There is a lot of debate in Canada about whether or not our soldiers should be in combat or be peacekeepers, about whether the military should have gone to Afghanistan, or whether we should have sent planes to Libya … but most everyone supports our soldiers & pays their respects on Remembrance Day. In WWI & WWII many men did not have a choice – they HAD to go to war. It's a shame that honouring & remembering the fallen, especially if they didn't have a choice, has become a political issue. Although, I can understand that the topic of war is very sensitive in Japan.
Thank you for your comment!
Melanie
= )