With the political happenings in Guernsey, Jersey and the USA taking centre stage recently, it is easy to forget that we wouldn’t have our freedom of life and speech today, if so many people had not given their lives in conflict.
Please join us today in a minutes silence at 11am, to remember those that have given their lives for us.
Remembrance Day is observed on 11th November in most countries around the world, to remember the end of hostilities of the First World War 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 signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.
The tradition of Remembrance Day evolved out of Armistice Day. The initial Armistice Day was observed at Buckingham Palace, commencing with King George V hosting a “Banquet in Honour of the President of the French Republic” during the evening of 10th November 1919.
The date is a national holiday in France, and was declared a national holiday in many Allied nations. However, many Western countries and associated nations have since changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day, with member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopting Remembrance Day, and the United States government opting for Veterans Day.
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