Armistice Day is a holiday on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I and honor armed forces. It started in England and is celebrated in Canada, France, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand. The armistice ended the fighting on the Western Front and was ratified at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. England’s King George V declared November 11 “Armistice Day” and it became a national holiday. Other countries followed and established their own similar national holidays. Ways to commemorate the day include visiting graves, holding parades, concerts, and events to honor veterans, and wearing red poppies. After World War II, the United States changed the name of its official holiday to Veteran’s Day to cover veterans of all wars.
Armistice Day is a holiday celebrated annually on November 11 to commemorate the end of World War I and the service of armed forces around the world. The tradition started in England, but Canada, France, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand also participate. In the United States, the holiday is called Veteran’s Day and has evolved into a broad day of remembrance for soldiers who fought in any American war.
Celebrating the end of the Great War
By November 1918, the toll of the First World War – called at the time “The Great War” – had reached exceptionally high numbers. Under threat of campaign rebellion, German forces sought a meeting with Allied forces to work out a peace treaty, known as an armistice. Famously, the treaty was made effective at 11 a.m. on November 11, giving it the interesting historical distinction of being ratified at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The armistice ended the fighting on the Western Front, an arrangement that would be confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
Creating a national holiday
The following year, England’s King George V declared November 11 “Armistice Day,” a national holiday to honor the men who defended England during the war. Banks, schools and most government offices are to be closed for observation of the day. At the time, the world had never seen a war as devastating as the conflict ravaging Europe. About 40 million of the world’s citizens died during warfare, many from battles and many more from disease and poor conditions. The original Armistice Day was the first dawn of hope for Europe for many years and is deservedly remembered as a great human triumph.
Other countries with soldiers at war quickly followed England’s lead and established their own similar national holidays. Most of the original Allied forces celebrate Armistice Day in one form or another.
Ways to commemorate the day
Different countries have different traditions when it comes to celebrating and remembering the day, but common activities include visiting the graves of soldiers killed in war and holding parades, concerts and events to honor veterans. Many countries have also adopted the tradition of wearing red poppies or decorating graves with these flowers on Armistice Day. The origin of this form of remembrance goes back to a famous wartime poem by Scottish soldier and veteran John McCrae called ‘In Flanders Field’. The first line of the poem mentions poppies growing on soldiers’ graves, and the verse has become one of the most famous memorials of the war. Even today, some refer to Armistice Day as Poppy Day, and many people wear a brooch with real or artificial flowers.
Growth and expansion over the years
Armistice Day traditions have grown and expanded as the world has endured more wars. After World War II, the United States changed the name of its official holiday to Veteran’s Day to cover veterans of all wars. Veteran’s Day mirrors the corresponding American Memorial Day, which occurs each May. In the UK, many of the traditions that were originally part of Armistice Day observances are now celebrated on the nearby Remembrance Sunday, held on the second Sunday in November.
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