Remembrance Day Essay

920 Words2 Pages

Remembrance Day ceremonies are observed all over the world in many countries, however, Canada has a very specific set of rules and displays that pertain to the commemoration of this remembrance. The national symbols, procedures and mannerisms surrounding Remembrance Day ceremonies are a part of the values that society has placed upon these ceremonies and the act of remembrance itself. To determine the aspects and ideals of war that are remembered and are still a part of social memory, a set of interviews was conducted from people of different generations. The symbols, public monuments and decorum surrounding the public participation in Remembrance Day ceremonies has to be witnessed and then discussed with many different people to gain real …show more content…

Choosing the right questions that would hopefully elicit the personal response was key to creating a method of understanding the motivations, and feelings behind Remembrance Day materiality. The attendance of the ceremony to observe the functionality of the space used, which possessed a permanent cenotaph, commemorating those fallen in battle in defense of our country and in aid of our allies in all conflicts that included Canada. To gain a better understanding of the public, and how they react and respond to the performances surrounding Remembrance Day ceremonies, the crowd was carefully watched. There is nothing to identify these attendees of this ceremony, so no express permission was …show more content…

There was however, a collective confusion of school age ceremonies for an average of five to six years. The young age in which children attend school, can impact their ability to properly observe and understand what exactly is going on in the ceremony. This suggests that some people do view Remembrance Day ceremonies as moral or social obligations later in life. All participants reported having taken part in ceremonies as they grew older, whether through a youth program like cadets or in school. The symbols of Remembrance Day are a point of national pride and do not differ much from participant to participant. While some of the participants thought that different values were placed on Remembrance Day ceremonies, the collective memory was all the same. Pride, honour and respect for those who have paved the way for us to have this life as we know it, should always be the point to Remembrance Day ceremonies. Some different generations have different ideas about the importance of being seen at a Remembrance Day ceremony, but collectively the participants make it a point to observe remembrance in their own ways. All participants reported that if we lose something so small in remembrance of something so huge we would be doomed to repeat the past and that the ideals and values

More about Remembrance Day Essay

Open Document