Why do have remembrance day

Poppies were one of the first flowers to grow on the battlefields of World War One. The red symbolises the hope after the conflict. They have been used as a symbol since and any money donated goes to aid the veterans of the armed forces. Out of the total 45 million poppies that are bought every year in the UK, over 11 million were produced at the Poppy Factory in Surrey.

In , the Canadian Parliament passed an Armistice Day bill to observe ceremonies on the first Monday in the week of 11 November, but this combined the event with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. For much of the s, Canadians observed the date with little public demonstration. Veterans and their families gathered in churches and around local memorials, but observances involved few other Canadians. In , some prominent citizens, many of them veterans, pushed for greater recognition and to separate the remembrance of wartime sacrifice from the Thanksgiving holiday.

In , the federal government decreed that the newly named Remembrance Day would be observed on 11 November and moved Thanksgiving Day to a different date. We often take for granted our Canadian values and institutions, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice.

The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed that "Without freedom there can be no enduring peace and without peace no enduring freedom. By remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom these men and women fought to preserve.

They believed that their actions in the present would make a significant difference for the future, but it is up to us to ensure that their dream of peace is realized. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought hard to achieve. During times of war, individual acts of heroism occur frequently; only a few are ever recorded and receive official recognition. By remembering all who have served, we recognize their willingly-endured hardships and fears, taken upon themselves so that we could live in peace.