Remembrance Day in Edinburgh

Last Sunday was Remembrance Sunday in Great Britain and the Commonwealth.

We were in Edinburgh and came upon a ceremony at a War Memorial.

We stopped to pay our respects. 

 November 11th is Remembrance Day also called Armistice Day.  

It marks the end of World War I at 

"the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month."

The date corresponds to Veterans Day in the U.S but is more similar to our 

Memorial Day which is recognized in May each year. 

Remembrance Day is a time to remember those who have served in the armed forces

and lost their lives in the line of duty.

 

During the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day,

nearly everyone in the UK will display a Red Poppy on their lapel.

The Red Poppy of Remembrance was actually first adopted in the U.S.

by the American Legion after Moina Michaels lead a campaign.

She was inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by John McCrae.

The poem, also known as "We Shall Not Sleep," describes the poppy fields

full of blood red flowers that bloomed on the battlefields in the Spring.

The Red Poppies are now an international symbol of Remembrance.

We also spent some time in the  Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. 

It is a relatively recent addition to Crown Square

but looks like it's been there for hundreds of years.

It was built in 1927 and is the design of architect Sir Robert Lorimer.

It is a breathtaking and reverent place. 

It contains books filled with the names of over 

200,000 Scottish soldiers that have died in the line of duty since World War I.

 

It was a day to remember those who have sacrificed so much from both Great Britain

and the United States.

"Grant peace, O Lord, across our strife-torn world,
Where war divides and greed and dogma drive.
Help us to learn the lessons from the past,
That all are human and all pay the price.
All life is dear and should be treated so;
Joined, not divided, is the way to go."

                                              Charles Henrywood

xoxo

Selena