November llth was always called Remembrance Day when I was a kid. The Earl Haig Charity Fund would appeal for donations, and poppy sellers would be on every corner in the City, and poppies would be worn proudly to remember those who gave their lives in World War I. Then after World War II, those remembrances extended to the dead of both World Wars. There would be a concert at The Royal Albert Hall, culminating in thousands of poppies falling from the ceiling at the end of the performance.
The laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph in London was a solemn occasion, and at 11 a.m., there was a two minute silence everywhere. Buses and trams stopped. People stood still in the streets and bowed their heads in prayer, even the radio was silent. (We did not have television in those early days.)
Now, in this information age, it seems that many people are too busy to remember, and for many it is “business as usual.”
In America, where I now live, it is called Memorial Day, and all of the fallen heroes and heroines of all wars are honoured with Parades, sales in the stores, of course, mainly of mattresses and cars!! But this is America.
I listened to the Pete Price radio show, www.citytalk.fm and heard how impressed many folks were on Sunday, November 2nd 2008, when the traditional ceremony was held, to see members of all faiths together paying their tributes, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. etc. As one caller to Pete put it: “why can’t it always be like that where people co-mingle and agree to differ on their versions of God.” Why not indeed?
November 20, 2008 at 3:17 am |
I’m not sure how long you’ve been in America, but November 11 is Veterans’ Day. Memorial Day, which used to be Decoration Day, is in May. There was a time when it was always May 31st. Now, thanks to our government, it’s on a Monday near the 31st.