Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed by Canadians and other members of the Commonwealth since the end of the First World War. It honours the more than 2 million Canadians who have served and continue to serve to remember all those who have fought and died in the line of duty to keep us free.

Remembrance Day has its origins in the end of World War I. The armistice, which effectively ended the hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 (November 11, 1918). This moment marked the cessation of one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and it became a symbol of hope for a lasting peace.

A well-known symbol for Remembrance Day is the red poppy because of the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. The poem describes how poppies continued to grow amidst the graves of soldiers in Flanders, a region in Belgium heavily affected by the war. Red poppy pins and wreaths are often worn and placed at memorials to honour fallen soldiers.