Remembrance Day (sometimes known as Poppy Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations [1] member states since the end of the First World War [2] to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V [3] in 1919,[1] [4] the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month", in accordance with the armistice [5] signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.) The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles [6] on 28 June 1919.[2] [7]
The memorial evolved out of Armistice Day [8], which continues to be marked on the same date. The initial Armistice Day was observed at Buckingham Palace [9], commencing with King George V hosting a "Banquet in Honor of the President of the French Republic [10]"[3] [11] during the evening hours of 10 November 1919. The first official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace the following morning.
The red remembrance poppy [12] has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem "In Flanders Fields [13]". These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders [14] in World War I; their brilliant red color became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.