Remembrance Day for the year 2023 is celebrated/observed on Friday, November 11th. There are until the next observance.
📆 When is Remembrance Day?
This year, Remembrance Day is on November 11th. It is the 2nd Friday in November; in 2023, it is on Saturday.
→ Did you know: The Flanders poppy was the first plant to blossom on the blood-soaked battlefields.
You can also discover all fascinating things you didn’t know about and facts about November 11, 2022.
📜 History of Remembrance Day
In the postwar years, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month took on special significance. The cessation of hostilities on the Western Front became inextricably linked with the commemoration of those who perished in the war. This first contemporary international battle mobilized about 70 million people and killed between nine and thirteen million individuals, with up to one-third of those killed having no known burial. The allied nations picked this day and time to remember their fallen warriors.
Two minutes of silence were inaugurated as part of the main remembrance event at the new Cenotaph in London on the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919. Edward Honey, an Australian journalist working in Fleet Street, recommended the quiet. At the same time, a South African leader suggested the same thing to the British Cabinet, which agreed with him.
Armistice Day spawned the tradition of Remembrance Day. The first Armistice Day was held at Buckingham Palace, with the king giving a luncheon in honor of the French president. Many countries modified the name of the holiday during World War II. Veterans Day was chosen by the United States.
In Canada, Remembrance Day, also known as’ Jour du Souvenir ‘, is still a statutory holiday in six of the ten provinces. The Armistice Day Act, which was passed throughout the 1920s, specified that Canada’s Thanksgiving would also be commemorated on Armistice Day-the Monday following November 11th. In 1931, the government formally moved the date to November 11. Remembrance Day was also given a new name.
The date has been designated as a day of “remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict, and peace,” specifically the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and all conflicts since then in which members of the Canadian Armed Forces have participated.
The official Canadian national ceremonies are held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario, according to rigorous procedure. Armed forces officials perform a service. The bones of an unknown Canadian soldier who died in France during World War I were interred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial in May 2000.
☑️ Remembrance Day facts
✅ The number 11
Every year, Canadians observe a minute of silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to remember the Canadian men and women who died while serving their nation.
✅ Strength in numbers
Throughout Canada’s history, more than 2,300,000 Canadians have served to keep the peace.
✅ Replica poppies
The Royal Canadian Legion sells replica poppies on Remembrance Day to raise funds for veterans.
✨ Things to do on Remembrance Day
⚡ Wear a red poppy on your lapel
Following WWI, the red poppy immediately became associated with the slaughter of troops on the Western Front. Pin a poppy to your shirt lapel to memorialize those who perished in WWI and previous conflicts. By doing this small but important thing, you will be joining millions of other Commonwealth citizens around the world.
⚡ Participate in the nationwide two minutes of silence
Join the rest of the country in observing two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. to commemorate the time when the Armistice was signed in 1918. During this time, Canadians put everything on hold to honour all those who died in the line of duty.
⚡ Cite the poem “The Ode of Remembrance”
The “Ode of Remembrance,” written by Laurence Binyon in 1914, is part of the poem “For the Fallen,” which initially commemorated British troops who died on the Western Front. It is now chanted in memory of all the troops who perished in the line of duty.
📅 Remembrance Day Observances
| YEAR | DATE | DAY |
| 2022 | November 11 | Friday |
| 2023 | November 11 | Saturday |
| 2024 | November 11 | Monday |
| 2025 | November 11 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | November 11 | Wednesday |
Explore all November holidays, including Federal and other Historical holidays.
We will continue to update this page with new information and fun facts about Remembrance Day. So be sure to check back soon.