Remembrance Day in UK 2024

11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month (that means 11:00am November 11th) every year a two-minute silence is held across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Church bells ring sometimes with a partially muffled sound. In churches there are memorial services and governmental institutions host official ceremonies. It is not a public holiday so workers need to work and students need to study, therefore most of the celebrations happen on Sunday that is nearest to November 11th. It is called “Remembrance Sunday” and it falls on the second Sunday of November. On this day members of Royal Family with Her Majesty The Queen, Members of the Government, former Prime Ministers, other top politicians and the city council representatives honour the ones who sacrificed themselves when fighting in the First World War. The tribute is paid to the heroes of the war through the National Service of Remembrance that takes place at The Cenotaph in Whitehall. The celebrations include the March Past in which veterans engage in. Every year, a few months ahead the memorial day, ten thousand tickets are sold to associations of ex-service personnel. Memorable Order of Tin Hats, Royal Air Forces Association, The Royal British Legion, Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and many others register their members every year to participate in this noble promenade. The tradition of this day’s celebrations has been growing since 1919. That year on November 11th at 11 o’clock King George V ordered the nation to observe a two-minute long silence. Nowadays the silence starts with bugle calls (bugle is an instrument similar to trumpet but a little simpler) playing “Last Post”. When the time of silence is over the same Royal Marines buglers that announced it end it with another military call “The Rouse”. Gun salute follows it carrying at the same time symbolic meaning that some years ago at this time the guns were no longer being fired and we do not need to fear of war anymore. Since 1930 the same 18 anthems are sung every year throughout the Ceremony starting with “Rule, Britannia!” and ending with the national, royal anthem “God Save The Queen”. The Remembrance Day is also informally known as Poppy Day. The red and black flower called “Papaver rhoeas” is the main symbol of this memorial day and its artificial paper or plastic versions are worn at that time in a form of a brooch on clothing.