Remembrance Day

A couple of weeks ago we started seeing people with fuzzy red paper poppies on their lapels. We were told it was for Remembrance Day on November 11. The closer it got to Remembrance Day, the more poppies we saw. Many stores had a table manned by volunteers who were "giving" them away for a donation, the Royal Canadian Legion (we think).

Flag at half mast before the services

Last Wednesday we were able to attend a Remembrance Day Service. We chose to go to one in a nearby small town rather than fight the crowds and traffic in Dartmouth or Halifax. Thousands of these services went on in big cities and small communities across Canada. The woman who told us about this particular one said she wasn't sure exactly when it started, but sometime before 11:00ish, so we got there plenty early, about 10:15. There was a memorial with a cross in front of a small school, so we knew we were in the right place. We were glad we'd brought our Siberian coats because it was held outside. The temperatures had dropped overnight into the 40s and it was cooler than the weather we'd had lately, and with some wind and humidity, it was kind of cold. People slowly trickled up. By the time the program started, there were 400 or so people there for this "small" service.

Our first Mountie sighting, one male, one female
If you look carefully at the people in the background, you'll notice
many red dots, even on their coats

Just before 11:00 they started the program with "O Canada" (it would probably be a good idea for us to learn the words to that while we're here) and interspersed through the program we sang a few hymns. The program continued with prayers, a bugler, a long moment of silence, raising and lowering the flag, more bugle, scripture readings, then the "laying of the wreaths." It was refreshing to see that they weren't afraid to mix religion into it. A reverend or some other type of religious leader from the community led the services--this wasn't a parochial school and this wasn't sponsored by the school either. 

We think there were approximately 40 groups to put wreaths on the monument by the cross--various military, RCMPs, civic (Lion's, Knights of Columbus), local businesses, and many individuals in memory of a grand or great-grandparent or other relative. They were each announced and someone solemnly walked up from the school doors at the back of the lot to the monument at the front and set the wreath down, often saluting, before the next person was announced. They were very careful in placing the wreaths not to overlap, so they spread out  beyond the base of the cross monument. It was amazing and very touching how so many small children were quiet throughout.

One of the cub scout troops in the background of an
officer of some sort saluting the flag

The Laying of the Wreaths

He's wearing his poppy on his cap

Another cub scout troop with younger scouts

After the announced wreaths were laid, they said anyone else with wreaths could go up. A couple of cub scout groups had made paper wreaths and laid theirs down. All the wreaths had poppies on them. The names of fallen soldiers from WWI and WWII (we assumed they were people from that town) were then read with a general thank you given to others who had served or are serving. After a final prayer, we were invited inside for refreshments. Everyone headed first for the monument, took the poppies off their lapels and stuck them in the wreaths--those are the smaller poppies you can see on some of the wreaths.

It was great that we could take some time off to see the great reverence given to their soldiers. All businesses and most retail, except restaurants, closed for the holiday. The parking lot at Walmart was eerily empty. The mall by our apartment likewise. Our office that afternoon was very quiet.

We found out the reason for the poppies is the poem In Flanders Fields from WWI

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, tho poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

                                   --Liet. Col. John McCrae

That night Sister Holbrook went to a member's home to get a haircut. (All beauty salons were closed that day.) After, the stylist flatironed her hair. Straight hair is something she's never experienced. Elder Holbrook did NOT like it. After she washed it, his only comment was, "That's the hair I fell in love with." And all these years she thought he'd fallen in love with all of her, not just her curly hair.

The weather here has been so nice for mid-November. This morning when we walked out to the car, Sister Holbrook had on a sweater and Elder Holbrook just had his suit coat on. During the day we had sporadic wild snow flurries interspersed by bright sunshine and the wind kicked up this afternoon. We froze on the way home and put off some errands until we are wearing warmer coats.