On Remembrance Sunday the British remember all the soldiers who have lost their lives in wars since World War I. The British Remembrance Day is always held on the Sunday nearest to November 11th. On Remembrance Day the British hold a two minute silence to remember their war victims. Let's have a look at British Remembrance Day traditions.

 

The two-minute silence is usually held at religious services, war memorials and cenotaphs. The Cenotaph in London, Whitehall is the most famous war memorial in Britain. The word "Cenotaph" comes from the Greek language and means "empty tomb". Thus London's Cenotaph honours soldiers who are buried elsewhere.

 

Remembrance Day is always celebrated on the Sunday nearest to November 11th. Why? November 11th is the anniversary of the official end of World War I. The first two minute silence was initiated by King George V. One year after the end of World War I – on 11th November 1919 - he asked the people to observe a silence at 11 a.m. Remembrance Day is taken very seriously in Britain. The Britons remember the fallen soldiers of the two world wars as well as the victims of recent conflicts, such as the Falklands War, the Gulf War or the War in Iraq.

 

Ever since King George V initiated the remembrance service, it has been held at The Cenotaph on Rembrance Sunday. The Royal family, top politicians and religious leaders attend the service. The Queen and the Prime Minister usually lay wreaths of poppies at the Cenotaph. Traditionally the "last post" is played to open the two minutes silence. The "last post" is a call used at military funerals. Usually it is played on a bugle. A bugle is a small trumpet, that was originally used in the British army to mark the end of the day. Furthermore the famous poem "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon is often read aloud.

 

In November a lot of people in Britain wear poppies. Why? The poppy is used as a symbol of remembrance, because this flower grew on the battlefields during World War I. Today members of the Royal British legion sell poppies in order to raise money for the war veterans. By the way, the Royal British legion is an organisation that provides care and support for ex-servicemen and woman.

 

History always comes alive with the people who experienced it first hand. One of them is Britain's oldest surviving war veteran Henry Allingham. Mr. Allingham served in the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force in World War I. He obtained a lot of military honours. Mr Allingham is not only the oldest war veteran, but also Britain's oldest man. He was born in 1896. Do you want to know how Mr. Allingham has survived to such a grand age? In an interview with the BBC he revealed his secret. He claimed that he had just "lived day to day": "I just have a good day and never think about what tomorrow will bring."