Remembrance Sunday
In the United Kingdom Remembrance Sunday is the Sunday nearest to November 11 - Armistice Day in 1918 when hostilities in the First World War ended at 11 a.m.
Each Remembrance Sunday is marked by ceremonies at local war memorials in most towns and villages, attended by local civic dignitaries, veterans (principally the Royal British Legion), youth organisations (e.g. Scouts and Guides), and military cadet forces. Wreaths of poppies are laid on the memorials and a two-minutes silence is held at 11.00 a.m.
The principal ceremony, televised each year by the BBC, is held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, where wreaths are laid by the Queen, Prime Minister, leaders of political parties, representatives of the Commonwealth, etc.
From 1919 until the 1950s, it was traditional for remembrance ceremonies to be held on Armistice Day itself, regardless of what day of the week it was; observance was then moved to Remembrance Sunday, but since the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1995 it has become usual to hold ceremonies on both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.
Referenced By
Albert Hall | Enniskillen | Remembrance Day | Royal Albert Hall | Whitehall
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