by Lenna Gonya

Created on: November 09, 2009   Last Updated: November 16, 2011

There is another  title for the day we call Veteran's Day. We forget that Armistice, or Veteran's Day, as we call it now, is not just an American holiday. It is celebrated all over the world, by many countries, whose military fought in WWI, where it is called Remembrance Day. As in the United states, Remembrance Day takes place on the 11th day of the 11th, month at the 11th hour, when the Armistice was signed, WWI was ended, and, we once thought that we had seen the last of global war.

Canada, like the U.S., celebrates the day with speeches, parades, band concerts, and, by wearing the red poppy, which has become a symbol of remembering those who died in Flander's Field. They also have a moment of silence in honor of all of their veterans from all wars. As in the U.S., wreaths are laid on the graves of fallen soldiers and those who have died since, and, traditionally, a wreath is placed on the site of a special grave, of one of many unknown soldiers, symbolic of all those unknowns who were buried either at home or in a foreign land.

Australia too celebrates in about the same way as Canada, however, in Melbourne they built an impressive shrine which remains a symbol of gratitude of the Australians to their service men and women. The Shrine of Remembrance was built in Melbourne between 1928 and 1934. Originally to honor the veterans and fallen soldiers of WWI, it was dedicated to all veterans as the years past. It is said that this monument was designed to allow the sun to shine through an opening at the very moment of the Armistice signing and each year illuminates a certain area of the shrine. The Shrine of Remembrance in Australia is an important destination for tourists visiting Melbourne, everyday, but on Remembrance or Veteran's Day, it is the site for veteran's groups, rallies, tours, and speeches to honor the country's soldiers.

Unfortunately, in the U.K., Canada, and Australia, as well as in the U.S., the general consensus of opinion is that as the years have gone by, too many people are not celebrating the day the way they once were. Younger generations learn very little about the history of our holidays, and especially those involving our soldiers. As time goes by, of course, there are fewer and fewer soldiers from past wars still around to honor, and, only their families remain to celebrate the day.

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