Some of the guys had a few questions about Remembrance Day and some of the parents indicated that it was not always easy to answer questions on this significant event for Canada. Here is a little more information on November 11th.
November 11th 2015 is Remembrance Day across Canada, marking the 97th anniversary of the Armistice that would put a term to the First World War on November 11th 1918.
This day is dedicated, in Canada, to remembering the veterans who fought to give us the freedom and rights that we have as a society. While Remembrance Day was originally created in commemoration of the soldiers who fought during the First Great War, it has since then been also a time to remember those who gave their lives in the Second World War, the Korean war and eventually anyone who has paid the ultimate price serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Even though Canadians were not the only soldiers to loose their lives in those battles, each nation traditionally honors their own, each in a very special way. If Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Armistice Day are also observed across the globe, here, at home, our traditions surround what we call Remembrance Day.
The symbol of Remembrance Day is the red poppy. As seen on the picture, fields of poppies are quite stunning as they grow in Europe. However, back in 1918, the depiction of those poppies invoked the idea that there could be as many dead soldiers as there were poppies in a field like this one, all colored red from the blood that the soldiers shed for their country. With this strong image came a poem from Lieutenant-Colonel John McRae, a Canadian doctor serving in the First World War, that would become a symbol of Remembrance Day:
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Nowadays, Remembrance Day has come to include many different traditions, such as the lay of the wreath, the ceremonies, the salutations, the visits to the Tombs of the Unknown Soldier, ... In the end, however, this special day as one purpose: Remember those who paid the price.
There are many ways to participate in November 11th. If you are not yet comfortable with the idea that it represents, simple ways can help you commemorate those that gave us the freedoms and rights we hold so dear. For example, Tuesday night, at 19:00, our Atom GK team will hold a small event at the start of their game to honor the memory of those who fell. I was invited to attend and will make sure to use this opportunity to not only support our Atom team, but to participate in this special moment to remember.
Then, on November 11th, for those wishing, there are ceremonies all across town. Each legion typically holds their own ceremony at the monument of their choosing. There are also larger scale parades on base, at the Museum, and evidently at RMC.
Personally, the importance for me to put emphasis on November 11th is to carry on the memory. Lest we forget means that we shall never forget those who served and the reason why they gave up their lives for us. I have published, every day of November, on the main site, one article each day to present a hockey player that has served in one of the two World Wars, or even both. The idea is to allow for our players to understand that those people who gave their lives had the same passion that they have, they come from the same country, culture, tradition and even city for some. They chose to make a stand so we could live happily today. Let's remember that we are privileged to have our families, our friends, our rights, our freedoms, our hockey and yes, even our schools. Let's remember those who fought so we would get these privileges.
Whether you choose to participate in a ceremony, a hockey game in the memory of those who served before us, that you wish to observe one minute of silence at 11:00 or that you would simply talk to your family about what is Remembrance Day, nothing is too little or too much. As long as you take the time to give it a meaning for yourself to remember.
Lest we forget.