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[News] Excuse my ignorance, but why TWO rememberance days?



goldstone

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
7,115
What exactly is the difference between yesterday's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing of the last post, minute's silence, and today's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing the last post, minute's silence? Couldn't both be rolled into one as they seem to both be about exactly the same thing?
 






Brok

😐
Dec 26, 2011
4,330
What exactly is the difference between yesterday's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing of the last post, minute's silence, and today's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing the last post, minute's silence? Couldn't both be rolled into one as they seem to both be about exactly the same thing?

...
 


Chicken Run

Member Since Jul 2003
NSC Patron
Jul 17, 2003
18,432
Valley of Hangleton
What exactly is the difference between yesterday's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing of the last post, minute's silence, and today's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing the last post, minute's silence? Couldn't both be rolled into one as they seem to both be about exactly the same thing?

I think yesterday is known as armistice day 11/11 and today is known as Remembrance Sunday always the closest Sunday to the aforementioned. [emoji3]
 


Hastings gull

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2013
4,635
What exactly is the difference between yesterday's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing of the last post, minute's silence, and today's rememberance ceremonies, laying of wreaths, wearing of poppies, playing the last post, minute's silence? Couldn't both be rolled into one as they seem to both be about exactly the same thing?

Yesterdays was presumably because it was the actual day, notably the 11th, and traditionally the ceremony in London is held on a Sunday close to the 11th. Might this be for no better reason than less disruption to traffic is caused on a Sunday plus those wishing to attend are more likely not to be working. I don't know exactly - perhaps someone in the know can assist.
 






theboybilly

Well-known member
Yesterdays was presumably because it was the actual day, notably the 11th, and traditionally the ceremony in London is held on a Sunday close to the 11th. Might this be for no better reason than less disruption to traffic is caused on a Sunday plus those wishing to attend are more likely not to be working. I don't know exactly - perhaps someone in the know can assist.

A lot of truth in that no doubt but at the end of hostilities the only day the nation could have come together en mass was on a Sunday (when the vast majority attended church) Armistice Day has always been 'lower key' in my experience although it seems to be more observed in the last few years. I try to attend an event on both days but many can't because of other commitments
 






Brok

😐
Dec 26, 2011
4,330
A lot of truth in that no doubt but at the end of hostilities the only day the nation could have come together en mass was on a Sunday (when the vast majority attended church) Armistice Day has always been 'lower key' in my experience although it seems to be more observed in the last few years. I try to attend an event on both days but many can't because of other commitments


I am sure that thousands of men who lost their lives would have preferred to have had other commitments, too.
 




Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
[/I]I am sure that thousands of men who lost their lives would have preferred to have had other commitments, too.

And women.

Armistice Day was fixed in 1918, as 11th November in the 11th hour of the 11th month, when the guns fell silent. Everybody used to stop work and hold their two minute silences.

As said, Remembrance Sunday became fixed as it was easier to stop the traffic for memorial services, but a lot of organisations do both.
 












The First Word War ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh month in 1918 although the actual cease fire was signed six hours earlier; they had to allow time for the soldiers on the front line to be notified to stop fighting at 11 (although some of them did not receive that notification in time and continued fighting after 11)

The Treaty of Versailles which technically ended the war wasn't signed until the next year, 1919, which is why a few war memorials have 1914-1919 as the dates, including the one in Grand Avenue in Hove.

Remembrance Sunday was set as the nearest Sunday to the 11th November (the 11th November was known as Armistice Day) and it's only relatively recently (maybe 20 years or so) that people have started to officially remember on the actual day, the 11th. Certainly when I was a kid it was only commemorated on Remembrance Sunday, not the 11th itself except when that was a Sunday.

If I was a pedant I might point out that as the war ended in Belgium and France the 11 o'clock might not correct, because 11 o'clock in UK is 12 o'clock in Europe.

Whether it was actually 11 or 12 o'clock in Europe I don't know; maybe it was 12 which allowed Britain to use the eleventh hour of the eleventh month phrase.

As I said, if I was a pedant I would point this out.

But I'm not, so I won't.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,048
Burgess Hill
I thought that Remembrance Sunday started, and in the main continues, as a day of religious ceremonies to remember the fallen.

I'm sure this is the reason we have remembrance Sunday because it was about a church service and then a parade (or vice versa).

With regard to the OP, quite staggered that someone asked the question in the first place. I'm assuming Goldstone isn't some whippersnapper and has witnessed this for years!
 




goldstone

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
7,115
I'm sure this is the reason we have remembrance Sunday because it was about a church service and then a parade (or vice versa).

With regard to the OP, quite staggered that someone asked the question in the first place. I'm assuming Goldstone isn't some whippersnapper and has witnessed this for years!

Never really noticed the two days in the past. Maybe it's a higher profile this year, or maybe it's because they're on consecutive days. But I still think they should be combined into one day of rememberance. Having two just dissipates the effect. If one can "over remember", then that's what's happeneing this year.
 




Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Never really noticed the two days in the past. Maybe it's a higher profile this year, or maybe it's because they're on consecutive days. But I still think they should be combined into one day of rememberance. Having two just dissipates the effect. If one can "over remember", then that's what's happeneing this year.

Having two doubles the effect. One takes nothing from the other. I attended two (not boasting) and did so, because I wanted to.
 




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