Why Remembrance Day is important?

When is Remembrance Day in Canada?
Remembrance Day is commemorated on November 11th each year and marks the end of World War I in 1918. It may also be commonly known as Armistice Day.
The intention of the day is to remember the fallen on both sides in the Great War (first world war).Remembrance Day is a federal statutory holiday in Canada.
Why Remembrance Day is important?
On Remembrance Day, Canadians pause to honour the men and women who have served and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict, and peace. More than 2,300,000 Canadians have served and more than 118,000 made the ultimate sacrifice.
The poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day. In the run-up to Remembrance Day, replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion to provide assistance to veterans.
The reason that the poppy is worn for Remembrance Day is due to a Canadian physician and poet who noticed how quickly poppies had grown over the graves of soldiers who had died during the Battle of Ypres. This symbolism of the blood-red flowers was beautifully captured by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields.” The poem was apparently discarded by McCrae but was found by soldiers who sent it to a London-based magazine named Punch.
In 1921, people began wearing the poppy three years after the war ended. For the centennial observance of Remembrance Day in 2021, the Royal Canadian Legion released a commemorative replica of the original fabric pin from 1921. November 11th marks the signing of the armistice (peace agreement) between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France.
The armistice took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning – the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”
However, while this date is used to reflect the end of the whole war, it technically relates to the cease-fire on the Western Front; fighting continued after November 11th in parts of the Ottoman Empire.
After the ‘end’ of the war in 1918, it didn’t take long before the signing of the armistice was adopted as a suitable time and date for countries involved in the war to mark the sacrifice of their soldiers, with official remembrance services taking place in the UK and USA in 1919.
The national ceremony is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The Governor General of Canada presides over the ceremony. It is also attended by the Prime Minister, other government officials, representatives of Veterans’ organizations, diplomatic representatives, other dignitaries, Veterans as well as the general public.In advance of the ceremony, long columns of Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, RCMP officers, and cadets march to the memorial lead by a pipe band and a colour guard. At the end of the ceremony, they march away to officially close the ceremony.
Did you know?
The last Canadian killed in action in World War I was Private George Lawrence Price of the Canadian Infantry (2nd Canadian Division) who was killed at Mons at 10.58 on November 11th, two minutes before the armistice. Officially, Price was the last Commonwealth soldier to be killed in World War One.
Source:officeholidays.com