Remembrance Day

 

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. 

Source: Irene Psarrá

Σε ατμόσφαιρα κατάνυξης, η Βρετανία τίμησε τους πεσόντες στρατιώτες της Κοινοπολιτείας. Χιλιάδες πολίτες ανάμεσά τους και εκπρόσωποι της βασιλικής οικογένειας κατέκλυσαν το χώρο γύρο από το μνημείο των ηρώων στο κεντρικό Λονδίνο. Οι δείκτες του Μπιγκ Μπεν έδειχναν 11 ακριβώς και οι παρευρισκόμενοι τήρησαν ευλαβικά σιγή δυο λεπτών. Οι εκδηλώσεις για την ετήσια Ημέρα Μνήμης κορυφώθηκαν όταν η Βασίλισσα Ελισάβετ κατέθεσε στεφάνι στη μνήμη των στρατιωτών που υπερασπίστηκαν με τη ζωή τους το στέμμα. Την τελετή παρακολούθησε διακριτικά και η δούκισσα του Κέμπριτζ Κέιτ Μίντλετον. Ανάλογες εκδηλώσεις πραγματοποιήθηκαν σε όλες τις χώρες - μέλη της Κοινοπολιτείας.

 

Πηγή: Ναυτεμπορική

 

Remembrance day remains as relevant as ever. Just don't ask me to wear a poppy

 

Enforced displays of patriotism are no substitute for confronting the issues faced by the armed faces and society.

 

[...] It must take huge courage to go out night after night in Helmand after seeing friends killed or maimed in horrific circumstances. But, as any soldier will tell you, they are not all heroes – just ordinary people doing a difficult job in sometimes very dangerous conditions. Some display genuine heroism – but a few others do terrible things in the stress of war, as we have seen this week. And not all in the military serve on the frontline, of course. Yet this word is chucked around cheaply, often by the same politicians sending young people to their deaths in dubious wars with the applause of armchair warriors in their ears. [...]

 

Source: The Guardian