Remembrance Day in Canada

Flowers at the military cemeteryEvery year on the 11th of the 11th of the month at 11 p.m., the whole of Canada stops its usual activities and is silent for two minutes. In these two minutes of silence, Canadians pay tribute to the memory of compatriots who gave their lives in the fight for a bright future for the nation.

This tradition began in 1919, when on the first anniversary of the end of the First World War, King George V appealed “to all the peoples of the Empire” with a call to perpetuate the memory of those who at the cost of their lives defended the right to life and freedom of their fellow citizens. He expressed his desire and his hope that for the general unity in the expression of this feeling, at the hour when the armistice came into force, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, all work, all sounds and all movements should cease for two minutes, so that in the beautiful stillness of thought everyone could concentrate on the reverent remembrance of glorious heroes.

Originally, this day was called “Armistice Day”, in honor of the end of the First World War. It was only in 1931 that Parliament passed an amendment to the Act establishing the date of the celebration of November 11, which fixed the holiday with its modern name "Remembrance Day".

Every year, on this day and hour, Canadians bow their heads to the heroes, men and women who have served, and who continue to serve, their country in the midst of war. They honor those who fought for Canada on the fronts of World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953), as well as all those who fell victim to military conflicts today. More than 1,500,000 Canadians served their country at various times, and more than 100,000 of them died. They gave their lives and their future so that modern Canadians could live in peace.

The main celebrations are held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Originally designed as a memorial to the First World War, this memorial was later transformed into a symbol of the memory of all the sacrifices made by Canadians in World War II, Korea and all subsequent peacekeeping missions. The National War Memorial symbolizes the heroic path taken by dedicated Canadians when it comes time to stand up for the values they believe in. The monument is crowned with two figures: emblems of peace and freedom.

Remembrance Day is sometimes referred to as Mac Day, as the symbol of this day - scarlet poppy pinned on his chest - in memory of those Canadians who died in the First World War in the bloody battles in Flanders. In honor of this event, the Canadian military doctor John McCra wrote the most performed on Memorial Day song “In the Fields of Flanders”. The song speaks of blood-red flowers and larks as symbols of nature’s ability to withstand the destructive elements of human war, symbols of hope in a period of human despair.

In Canada, Memorial Day is a public holiday for federal government employees. However, for employees of private business, provincial enterprises and educational institutions, its status is determined by regional directives. In Western and Atlantic Canada, it is a common holiday. In Ontario and Quebec, it is not a common holiday, although corporations that are registered as federal can either designate the day as a public holiday or establish a provincially-legal holiday on a very different day. It is a very common practice to provide an extra day off between Christmas and New Year.