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British Culture Alphabet: R
4 years agoHi all!
I'm writing about British culture.
I thought a cool way to introduce some British culture into the Verbling community would be to work through the alphabet and talk about a topic for each letter.
So, for R we are focusing on.....
Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday is a special day on which people in the UK commemorate and remember the contribution of those who have fought and died in World War One, World War Two and conflicts that have occurred thereafter.
It is normally held on the second Sunday in the month of November, closest to the date of 11th November. The 11th November is significant as this was the date when the Armistice was signed in 1918, this is the day that the fighting of World War One stopped - on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
On Remembrance Sunday people across the UK gather locally to mark the occasion at War Memorials. A ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in London which is generally attended by the Royal Family. As part of the ceremony members of the Royal Family and Armed Forced lay wreaths. Wreaths are made of poppies.
Poppies are widely associated with Remembrance Sunday. Traditionally, people start to wear them from 2nd November. People do not wear real poppies but artificial poppies or sometimes badges in the shape of poppies, they are often fastened to a coat.
Remembrance Sunday ceremonies include “The Last Post”.
This is played on a bugle and marks the end of a two minute silence. You can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIIOGka3LKI
A poem called 'For the Fallen' is often read aloud during the ceremony; the most famous stanza of which reads:
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."
Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943)
