From Conflict to Peace: Understanding the Heart of Remembrance Day Ceremony

Remembrance Day, originally known as Armistice Day, was established during the end of the First World War when the Germans and the Allies signed an armistice on November 11, 1918. However, instead of glamorizing the political and military accomplishments, this day served to honor and remember those who have contributed extensively and those who courageously fell in the conflicts. The outstanding occasion for recognition and commendation was an acknowledgment of the countless individuals exerting their efforts and compromising their concerns to defend the beliefs of our country, and to shape a temporary state of peace after a large, worldwide confusion. Understanding the reason behind different practices in the ceremony helps us to truly realize the rigor of previous sacrifices and carry a newfound responsibility to maintain the peace in the present day.

A comprehensive history of the establishment of Remembrance Day:

In the subsequent year of 1919, most of the British Empire designated Armistice Day to be observed on the second Monday of November, and the Canadian Parliament swiftly adopted the same decision. The Canadian Armistice Day of 1921 was initially placed on the first Monday of November which coincidentally clashed with the holiday season of Thanksgiving. Sadly, the majority of the general public throughout the 1920s was too busy feasting on turkey and pumpkin pies to pay adequate attention to Armistice Day, which deserves it. By 1928, some of the awesome veterans and prominent citizens pushed for greater recognition, urging the Parliament to reschedule and shuffle the Thanksgiving Holiday to another date while keeping Armistice Day shining on November 11th. Fast forward to 1931, they decreed a makeover of Remembrance Day to replace Armistice as a day in the fond memory of important figures contributing to war, not merely reflecting upon the peace treaty.

Events and practices during Remembrance Day:

1. Poppy pins. The general class of poppy flowers was chosen because they were the first plants to grow in the fierce battlefields of northern France and Belgium, where some of history’s highest casualty battles took place. Among the 650,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served in action, more than 172,000 were wounded and around 66,000 never made it back home.

• Red poppies symbolize the remembrance of all the civilians, British, and non-British colonized, as well as Canadian deaths and bloodsheds of the war that dye the petals a shade of crimson. The charity supported by the First World War veterans created the Royal British Legion which first began the distribution of poppy flowers. Some people refused to wear a red poppy, claiming that the bright red color promotes views such as war and high mortality rates, leading to them wearing white poppies instead. The Peace Pledge Union kickstarted the distribution, and similar to the previous candidate, white poppies also commemorated sacrifices in the conflicts but implied a subtle focus on harmony, mutual empathy, and an aim to counteract the tendency of conflict glorification.
• Purple poppies, on the other hand, appearing on a minor scale, were worn to remember animals that have been victims, but crucial assisters in wars. Initiated by the Animal Purple Poppy Funds, many felt the obligation and necessity to honor those anonymous animals comparably to the soldiers and officers who participated in human service. Creatures like horses, mules, and bullocks were transportation sources; pigeons were message carriers; dogs played the dual role of enemy trackers and troop protectors. An estimated 8 million horses and another 8 million other animals were killed in action during WWI, excluding the innumerable wildfires and mustard gas detonations that would have been killed or displaced as different battles raged on. The social oversight of purple poppies highlights the negligence of the animal and environmental sacrifices in the fervent pursuit of victories. This absence of purple badges on our shirts advocates for awareness and correction for more simultaneous appearances of purple poppy pins to acknowledge these overlooked contributions.
• Black poppies specifically nominate the service performed by any group that might be considered a social minority, such as indigenous communities, island dwellers, and those of African ancestry. The term social minority is defined as any individuals or families sharing similar characteristics that mark them as out of the ordinary social standards, preventing them from accessing resources, support, or obtaining general rights that most individuals within a population hold. Two prevalent reasons may lead certain groups to be considered a minority. To begin, racial or ethnic minorities are members sharing a common history and culture, which, somehow over time, leads to negative conformity toward the group’s values and beliefs. Additionally, bias and social stigma often judge individuals based on their appearance, physical condition, speech, residential situation, or economic status, potentially deeming a certain trait or position as inferior in the general society. Unfortunately, members belonging to these groups may be disregarded or excluded in the acknowledgment of red poppies, so black poppies made sure everyone who deserves the acknowledgment receives their recognition regardless of personal background and opinions.

1. Reading the war poem, “In Flanders Field.” This poem was written by Colonel McCrae during the summer of 1915 when he lost one of his close friends in the bloodstained battle of Ypres, also serving the country while he was a surgeon in the First Brigade of Canadian Field Artillery. Although he had never survived to witness the time of peace (for McCrae died in January 1918 due to severe pneumatic infection and meningitis), his poem created an everlasting legacy that laments over the cruelty and reality of wars but provided a sense of enlightening hope by granting their memories to the poppy flowers that grow in remembrance of the soldiers who were gone but never lost in remembrance. Flanders Field achieved remarkable success from the perspective of poem creation, one that earned its rightful place in the worldwide ceremony for several convincing reasons. Firstly, it was highly relevant to point out that there are a tremendous number of real human beings living in the current age who were lost in one swipe a few decades ago and these losses have not stopped because conflicts rise one after another. Secondly, the poem is emotion-provoking telling the tale of the grief and sorrow of families and friends hearing the despondent tragedies. Thirdly, as Canadian citizens or residents, we share a geological connection with McCrae who was a native countryman willing to participate and pitch in the peace now stabilized in our country. As Kathy Parks, the administrator of the Soldier's Tower Commemoration Site, said, “...many young Canadians recite the poem in social settings and it becomes lodged in our subconsciousness.”
2. Two Minutes of Silence. This practice was first suggested by the WWI Australian veteran Edward George Honey. He propelled his grand plan in local newspapers, envisioning the Remembrance Day ceremony to be “brief but solemn” by proposing five minutes of absolute quietness, just like hitting the pause button of the world. Furthermore, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, a South African politician also jumped onto the silence bandwagon and presented the five-minute marvel to none other than King George V who rendered five minutes, a prolonged amount of time, and slashed it down to two minutes. According to his famous proclamation at the ceremony, the significance of the short time of stillness was to suspend all our daily activities fleetingly and just concentrate on the reverent remembrance of all the sacrifices made for emerging wars.
   
3. The Last Post and Reveille were played on a bugle or trumpet around the world before the two minutes of silence. Traditionally performed in the 1790s by the British army to mark the end of training in a military camp, the duty officers and soldiers rested until the morning when they heard the Rouse, a quarter call to wake everyone fifteen minutes before the formal training and activities that were signaled to start by the Reveille. However, the Reveille was a notoriously hard tune to play, so in the ceremony, they omitted the longer and harder piece, renaming the Rouse as the Reveille. Ritualistically speaking, the Last Post and the Reveille functioned as symbolic associations between a soldier’s last duty, suggesting the use of their lives to safeguard and uphold their standings, and the following ascension above their physical duty through their moral dedication is profound. Their grave contribution goes beyond the call of duty, surpassing what was required and asked of them.
   

Many of the large-scale wars affected the lives of miscellaneous and millions of groups of people in Canada without any regard to status, age, or race. Encompassing both the vigilant fighters and the resilient protectors, all the lives back then served Canada. Familial relations were broken, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, or lovers may be lost in action. Some were permanently injured, suffering from physical and mental scars that were largely unerasable. Even the residents in Candida in times of conflict served the country by selflessly and diligently working in factories to sustain the economy, volunteering in service organizations by packing supplies, and sending medical aid to those in military force; people were summoned everywhere in need.

Yet for many of us now, war resembled television entertainment or journalist-only. Far-fetching reports are only reserved for pathetic individuals in the distance, in stark contrast to our closest encounter with war— a severe family trauma with an upset sibling suddenly sleeping in the garret. Most of us were born in a peaceful country where we can enjoy our Canadian privileges, institutions, and unrestrained freedom to live a prosperous life. The Canadians and soldiers from other nationalities who once fought, went to war with the mindset and belief that ethical values and livelihood necessities in other parts of the world were being threatened, and set out to restore the state of equilibrium. By remembering those years of strife and struggle, pain and loss, we recognize those men and women who sought to liberate and preserve our Canadian values throughout the globe. On November 11th annually, we not only participate in the ceremony passively, but we should actively learn the reason and significance behind each event to avoid stagnant participation. We too, in a contemporary age of peace, by taking Remembrance Day seriously, are armed with a new goal to ensure our land is deprived of hostility and chaos in the future.

References:

“Remembrance - Remembrance Day | Canada and the First World War.” Canada and the First World War, www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/after-the-war/remembrance/remembrance-day. “What Do the Different Coloured Poppies Mean?” BBC Newsround, 19 Oct. 2022, www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/ 45975344. “One Minute’s Silence as a Symbol of Commemoration.” Anzac Portal, 17 Nov. 2022, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/ commemoration/symbols/one-minutes-silence#:~:text=Also%20in%201919%2C%20Sir%20Percy,was%20change d%20to%202%20minutes. “Remembrance Day 2015: Why John McCrae’s in Flanders Fields Still Resonates.” CBC, 11 Nov. 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/in-flanders-fields-1.3312135. “Remembrance Day | 11. Last Post / Rouse / Lament.” Canada.ca, 8 Nov. 2022, www.canada.ca/en/department- national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/remembrance-ceremony/11.html. Chambers, Georgia. “Why Do People Wear Red, White and Purple Poppies and What Are Their Meanings?” Evening Standard, 11 Nov. 2022, www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/colour-poppies-meaning-remembrance- day-red-white-purple-a4269511.html. Canada, Veterans Affairs. First World War (1914 – 1918) - Veterans Affairs Canada. 18 May 2022, www.veterans .gc.ca/eng/remembrance/wars-and-conflicts/first-world-war/#:~:text=More%20than%20650%2C000%20Canadian s%20and,on%20the%20Treaty%20of%20Versailles. “Animal Victims of War.” Animal Alliance of Canada, 4 Oct. 2023, www.animalalliance.ca/war-animals/#:~: text=In%20World%20War%20I%2C%208,every%20two%20human%20soldiers%20killed.​