Remembrance Day in Britain

NOVEMBER

Remembrance Wreath | The Last Post | Two minute Silence November is the time of the year when we wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us during wars. www.britishlegion.org.uk The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One. At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. What is Remembrance Day? Remembrance Day is on 11 November. It is a special day set aside to remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War. Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is usually the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain. A war memorial in Sevenoaks Kent A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Queen lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph. Wreaths are layed beside war memorials by companies, clubs and societies. People also leave small wooden crosses by the memorials in remembrance of a family member who died in war. Why is the poppy a symbol of remembrance? Click here for information on World War 2     Why a poppy? Poppy Song Remembrance Poems

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival

SEPTEMBER

This is the time of year when all the crops have been harvested. What is a Harvest Festival? Harvest Festival is a celebration of the food grown on the land. Thanksgiving ceremonies and celebrations for a successful harvest are both worldwide and very ancient. In Britain, we have given thanks for successful harvests since pagan times. We celebrate this day by singing, praying and decorating our churches with baskets of fruit and food in a festival known as 'Harvest Festival', usually during the month of September. Harvest Festival reminds Christians of all the good things God gives them. This makes them want to share with others who are not so fortunate. In schools and in Churches, people bring food from home to a Harvest Festival Service. After the service, the food that has been put on display is usually made into parcels and given to people in need. When is Harvest Festival? Harvest festivals are traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon. Unlike the USA and Canada, the UK does not have a national holiday for Harvest Festival.