Lest We Forget: Commemorating Remembrance Day In Lockdown

You may see a lot of red poppies on people’s coats at this time of year. But what are they really about? Here’s the rundown on Remembrance Day and why you should take the time to appreciate the sacrifices made by others…

So, what is Remembrance Day?

Remembrance Day is held on 11 November every year and marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918. The day is used to commemorate and remember the sacrifices of Armed Forces from Britain and the Commonwealth in WW1. A two minute silence is held at 11am to take the time to think of and pay respects to those who made sacrifices.

The second Sunday in November (8 Nov) is known as Remembrance Sunday, where ceremonies are held at war memorials and churches throughout the country to further commemorate those who died in WW1, but also all other wars since.

Why do people wear poppies?

Remembrance Day is also called Poppy Day, as the poppy is the symbol of fallen soldiers in WW1. Poppies grew in a lot of the fields in Flanders, Belgium, where many of the battles took place. The red colour of the flower symbolises the blood spilled during the war and the hope for a more positive future.

In 1915, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae lost a friend, and wrote the poem In Flanders Fields, after seeing the poppies growing:

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That marks 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.

Since its publication, the poppy became a national symbol and paper poppies are sold in the weeks running up to Remembrance Day for people to pin to their coats as a way to show respect, and to raise money for soldiers and their families.

How can we commemorate Remembrance Day during lockdown?

The country is in a national lockdown again as of 5 Nov, however, Remembrance events are still allowed to go ahead - with strict social distance guidelines in place. So, if you and your family are planning to go to a service, do bare in mind that there will be restrictions to keep everyone safe.

There will also be a televised national service, held at the Cenotaph, involving members of the royal family and politicians, so if you don’t want to go outside, but still pay your respects, you can tune in to that at 10:15am on BBC One.

And of course, you can take part in the two minutes of silence at 11am on 11 November, and wear a poppy. If you’re at school, your teachers may suggest making a poppy related craft to put up in your window (much like the rainbow signs for the NHS), or showing your respect through creative writing or reflection.

There are also many poems that commemorate World War One and the soldiers who fought in it. Why not take a read of The Soldier by Rupert Brooke, Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, or For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon.