11 November – Remembrance Day: Remembering Together
Every year, on 11 November, people across France, Britain and many other countries pause to remember the millions of men and women whose lives were changed or lost through war.
Here in the Pyrénées-Orientales, many communes invite residents of all nationalities to come together for their Armistice Day commemorations. Regardless of where we come from or which country we call home, it is an opportunity to stand side by side, remember the past and reflect on the importance of peace.
As we approach this year’s commemorations, we remember not only those who fought on the front lines, but also the millions of ordinary men and women who made extraordinary sacrifices, both at home and abroad, during two world wars.
We remember those who never returned, those who came home carrying physical and emotional scars, and the families whose lives were changed forever.
Above all, Remembrance Day is about ensuring that their courage, sacrifice and contribution are never forgotten.
Why 11 November?
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the Armistice between the Allied Powers and Germany came into effect, bringing an end to the fighting on the Western Front and effectively ending the First World War.
The day became known as Armistice Day and was established as an occasion to remember those who had lost their lives in the conflict. Today, it is commemorated in many countries as a day of remembrance, reflection and gratitude.
But how did the red poppy become such an enduring symbol of remembrance?
The first official Legion Poppy Day was held in Britain on 11 November 1921, inspired by the poem In Flanders’ Fields written by John McCrae. Since then the Poppy Appeal has been a key annual event in the nation’s calendar.
In Flanders’ Fields – The Story Behind the Poppy
Some of the fiercest fighting of the First World War took place across Flanders and northern France. The landscape was devastated by shellfire, yet, amid the destruction, red poppies appeared in the disturbed soil.
For Canadian doctor and soldier Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who witnessed the terrible human cost of the fighting while serving with the Canadian Army Medical Corps, these flowers became a powerful symbol of life, loss and remembrance.
In 1915, deeply moved by what he had seen, he wrote one of the most famous wartime poems in history: In Flanders’ Fields.
In Flanders’ Fields – John McCrae, 1915
In Flanders’ Fields the Poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark 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.
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the First World War ended.
How the Poppy Became a Symbol of Remembrance
The poem had a profound impact on readers, including an American woman named Moina Michael, who was determined to find a way to honour those who had died.
Inspired by McCrae’s words, she began wearing a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance and selling poppies to raise money to support returning servicemen and their families.
She also wrote a poem in response to McCrae’s, entitled We Shall Keep the Faith, promising that the sacrifices of those who had died would never be forgotten.
We Shall Keep the Faith
Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a luster to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
…….and so began the tradition of wearing a poppy in remembrance.
The idea soon crossed the Atlantic and was embraced in Britain, where the first official Poppy Appeal was organised by the newly established British Legion in 1921. The first Poppy Day took place on 11 November that year, the third anniversary of the Armistice, raising an impressive £106,000.
The red poppy became the enduring symbol of the Royal British Legion, an organisation established to support serving and former members of the British Armed Forces and their families.
Today, the annual Poppy Appeal continues to raise millions of pounds to fund vital support for the Armed Forces community, ensuring that remembrance is accompanied by practical help for those who need it.
The simple red poppy remains a powerful reminder that we should never take peace, freedom or the sacrifices made by previous generations for granted.
Remembrance in France
Of course, the red poppy is not the only flower associated with remembrance.
In France, the equivalent symbol is the Bleuet de France (the French cornflower), worn to honour those who died for their country, as well as wounded veterans, victims of war and those who continue to serve.
The blue cornflower has its own poignant history, and its symbolism is particularly significant in France, where the First World War left an indelible mark on communities, families and landscapes.
Lest We Forget
More than a century has passed since the First World War ended, yet the importance of remembrance has never diminished.
On 11 November, whether we wear a red poppy, a blue cornflower, attend a ceremony at our local mairie or simply take a moment of silence, we share the same sentiment.
We remember those who gave so much, often everything, so that future generations could live in peace.
Whatever our nationality, language or background, remembrance brings us together.
We will remember them.