Remembrance Day

On 11 November people remember the millions of soldiers who died in the two World Wars and in other wars. At one time the day was known as Armistice Day and was renamed Remembrance Day after the Second World War. Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is usually the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain.

A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Queen lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph. Wreaths are laid beside war memorials by companies, clubs and societies. People also leave small wooden crosses by the memorials in remembrance of a family member who died in war.

At 11am on each Remembrance Sunday a two minute silence is observed at war memorials and other public spaces across the UK. The "Last Post" is traditionally played to introduce the two minute silence in Remembance Day ceremonies. It is usually played on a bugle.

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy. On that day poppies - a symbol of mourning, are traditionally sold in the streets everywhere, and people wear them in their buttonholes. They are sold by the Royal British Legion. The money collected in this way is used to help war veterans.

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*Remembrance Day - поминальное воскресенье (в Великобритании - день памяти погибших в Первую и Вторую мировые войны; отмечается в воскресенье, ближайшее к 11 ноября, дню заключения перемирия в 1918 г.)

*Second World War - Вторая мировая война (1939-1945 гг.)

*Cenotaph – [´senətɑ:f] 1) кенотаф (символическая могила, не содержащая тела умершего; сооружался в том случае, когда прах покойного оказывался недоступным для погребения) 2) памятник неизвестному солдату

*Whitehall - Уайтхолл (улица в Лондоне, на которой расположены правительственные учреждения); правительство Великобритании

*‘Last Post’ – воен. сигнал отбоя