November the 11th - How do you remember?

[sanquin]

November 11th is kind of our Halloween in the Netherlands. As in, it's the evening that kids come by houses to get candy. Though here they don't say 'trick or treat', but sing songs relevant to the day. It supposedly holds it's origins in Christianity. Though it long lost it's meaning, and is now just about giving candy to kids. We call it "Sint Maarten." We still have Halloween related things but without the candy giving.

So we don't really have November 11th as a day of remembrance.

 

[Heronblade]

Well, normally I remember the dead by making a point out of celebrating life. Unfortunately these past few days I've been so busy that I can hardly think, and missed it as a result.

 

[Tayh]

It's a monday.
Just like the one before it, and just like the one after it.
I don't remember ever doing anything special on the 11th of November here in Denmark.

 

[Ryotknife]

Wow, people in Canada learning in school about us? That's amazing. I figured no one outside of Europe would even know what Flanders is..

I wore a poppy shaped pin, as I do every year.
A few years ago, when I was in high school, we had an fieldtrip visiting everything WWI related. (We even saw 'Joyeux noel' on the bus) The ijzertoren (Iron tower) the trenches, multiple monuments and finally a gigantic museum where you got a barcode and a name as you entered. And there were stations all over the museum where you could scan your barcode, and see what your person went through.

It was a humbling experience to say the least...

Everyone knows Flanders! He is the beloved Simpson's character!

No, but seriously I know it was a country and roughly where it was. Other than that, not much. I know they were important in the Middle Ages, but at least in my education that was a time period basically glossed over in History in the US (100 years war, check. 30 Years war. check. Okay were done with this period).

 

[Albino Boo]

Wow, people in Canada learning in school about us? That's amazing. I figured no one outside of Europe would even know what Flanders is..

I wore a poppy shaped pin, as I do every year.
A few years ago, when I was in high school, we had an fieldtrip visiting everything WWI related. (We even saw 'Joyeux noel' on the bus) The ijzertoren (Iron tower) the trenches, multiple monuments and finally a gigantic museum where you got a barcode and a name as you entered. And there were stations all over the museum where you could scan your barcode, and see what your person went through.

It was a humbling experience to say the least...

The Canadians suffered heavily during WW1, of the 600000 personal that went to europe close to 40% became casualties. The Germans regarded the Canadian corps as a shock unit prioritised its intelligence efforts to identifying the corps whereabouts. Canadian units saw action in every major British empire battle on the western front from 1915 onwards. Soldiers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Indian Subcontinent all served on the western front during WW1. Its only tends to remembered in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, subsequent nationalisms have written the others out of public life.

 

[Moderated]

I uh...coded, watched anime and played dota.
(The anime was sad, though, so there's uh, never mind.)

 

[prowll]

It's my birthday, I was always impressed that they knew I was coming and planned parades for me...

 

[Bertylicious]

I stand up for 2 minutes, look at the floor and think about my Grandfather's old war stories. He was based in Burma with an artillery force, I forget which, but never saw any action. My favourite story was when his unit was being inspected by a senior officer and nobody in his squad turned up except the sergeant and him. My Grandfarther was a rubbish soldier so he didn't know anything about the gun or what to do so he just started running in circles around it.

Incrediblly, the gun started to fire. My Grandfather just kept running around in circles. The sergeant had been doing everything, of course. Strangely enough I don't think anyone in the unit got into trouble for either not turning up or being useless. I guess there was a pretty good reason the British army was generally rubbish in WW2.

 

[Quoth]

I take a moment to imagine the fears and horrors that men and women must face in the name of war. I then try to think of the joy when the wars are declared over. Particularly WWI and WW2 where most had no choice but to become soldiers.

At the end I make a wish that there will be more peace on earth. I'm not sure anyone's listening to that bit.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I didn't even know it was remembrance day, so I guess that says it all...

 

[Da Orky Man]

I'm told that Americans call it Veterans Day. I'm sure the meaning is exactly the same.

Not entirely.

Veteran's Day is, according to Wikipedia, "an official United States holiday that honors people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, also known as veterans."

The American equivalent to Remembrance Day is Memorial Day, which is " a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces."

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

SNIP

The more you know. Any historical reason they aren't on the same day? The 11th here is also a day of honor for those still with us and veterans are regularly invited to speak in public if they are so inclined.

 

[Da Orky Man]

SNIP

The more you know. Any historical reason they aren't on the same day? The 11th here is also a day of honor for those still with us and veterans are regularly invited to speak in public if they are so inclined.

Veteran's Day is essentially the American version of Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, commemorating the end of WW1. Over time, it changed from a day of simple remembrance to what Veterans's Day is now.
On the other hand, Memorial Day was first used to commemorate the dead of the American Civil War.