At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
A Two Minute Silence is observed on Armistice Day. The day which marks the end of the First World War. The Royal British Legion has always supported the traditional Remembrance Sunday services and the customary Two Minute Silence on that day. As the national custodian of Remembrance, the Legion also believes that when 11 November (Armistice Day) falls on days other than Sundays - on working days - Remembrance should be brought into the everyday life of the nation on those days as well. The revival of support for observance of this demonstrates that, despite the passing of the years and the declining number of veterans, the nation still feels strongly about Remembrance. Remembrance transcends all boundaries. The Legion seeks a small yet important individual and collective act, a rare moment when the nation can stand together and reflect on the price of freedom. That price is still being paid. More than 12,000 British Servicemen and women have been killed or injured on active service since 1945. "If we are to maintain our peace and freedom, we must always remember." |
Lest We Forget"Recessional" is a poem by Rudyard Kipling, which he composed for the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
The poem is a prayer. It describes two fates that befall even the most powerful people, armies and nations, and that threatened England at the time: passing out of existence, and lapsing from Christian faith into profanity. The prayer entreats God to spare "us" (England) from these fates "lest we forget" the sacrifice of Christ. The phrase "lest we forget" forms the refrain of "Recessional." It introduces the reason for the entreaty expressed in the poem: that God might spare England from oblivion or profanity "lest we forget" the sacrifice of Christ ("Thine ancient sacrifice"). The phrase later passed into common usage after World War I across the British Commonwealth especially, becoming linked with Remembrance Day observations. "LEST WE FORGET"... Came to be a plea not to forget past sacrifices. |
Be a part of this years' Remembrance Day and wear your poppy with pride