Why do we mark Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday?

The traditions have continued into the modern day with nationwide events and the annual Poppy Appeal becoming synonymous with them.

Remembrance Day was first inaugurated by King George V as families grappled with the unfathomable loss experienced during the bloody conflict which ended a year earlier.

With the commemoration now returning for another year, here is everything you need to know about how and why it is marked.

The largest Remembrance Sunday event takes place at the Cenotaph in London (PA) (Image: PA)

Why is Remembrance Day on November 11?

According to the Royal British Legion, Remembrance Day takes place on November 11 as this is the day that the Armistice, an agreement to end fighting during the Great War, was signed.

The Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and came into force at 11am.

On Remembrance Day, people across the country take part in a two-minute silence at 11am.

How do we commemorate Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday?

The Royal British Legion’s 2023 #PoppyAppeal launches today with our new plastic-free poppy ♻️

Made entirely from paper, the plastic-free poppy is available alongside stock of the existing poppy to reduce waste. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/COSDK0se4l

— Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) October 26, 2023

Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday are commemorated in many ways, including through ceremonies, poppy-wearing and a two-minute silence.

Wearing poppies

While poppies did not become a Remembrance tradition until 1921, they have since become an integral part of the commemoration.

The poppy was chosen as a symbol by Earl Haig as it was the only flower left growing on the battlefields of France and Belgium after the war.

Ceremonies 

Remembrance Ceremonies are held up and down the country in various towns and cities.

These see soldiers, cadets, veterans, local and national politicians, and community leaders come together to honour the war dead.

The largest such event is at the Cenotaph in London where members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other party leaders lay wreaths.