Most countries around the world observe some sort of day dedicated to remembering and paying respects to fallen soldiers and previous wars.
Remembrance Day as we know it, which is today, November 11 th , marks the anniversary of the end of World War 1, and is generally marked with either one or two minutes of silence, and the wearing of a red poppy. But most of you reading this will be well familiar with this tradition, and if you want to find out more about the history or observance of the Commonwealth Remembrance Day, well you can just google it.
What we’re interested in though is whether this same Remembrance Day is recognised the world over, or if it’s different in different countries?
The Former Soviet Union
Russia, Central Asia, the Eastern Bloc and all the countries that were part of the Soviet Union have their version of this special day on May 9 th , and it’s called Victory Day, commemorating the defeat of the Nazis. The German Instrument of Surrender was signed late at night on May 8 th , and was announced in Moscow the following morning, on May 9 th .
Victory Day typically involves massive parades, everywhere from capital cities, to small villages, and a common tradition is to carry a photo of your deceased relative(s) on a picket board as you join in the parade.
However, in the last 30 years, since the fall of the Soviet Union, Victory Day has changed a lot. In several countries it has become much less of an event, such as across Central Asia. Despite the point of it to celebrate fallen soldiers, it is often associated with communism and the Soviet Union, which can be a bit of a touchy subject. And yet in Russia it's been adopted and is now an even bigger deal than it used to be.
Lebanon
Not an official holiday as it is only celebrated by Hezbollah and their supporters, but the 11 th of November also happens to be Martyrs’ Day. Martyrs’ Day is observed as remembrance to all those who died fighting for Hezbollah against their enemies, primarily Israel. The day itself was chosen to mark the event in 1982 when a Hezbollah member drove a white Peugeot into the Israeli Military Headquarters in Tyr, southern Lebanon, killing over 100 Israelis.
East Germany
East Germany commemorated May 8 th , calling it Liberation Day, which like the Soviet Union marked the official defeat of the Nazis, and is well known as VE Day. The difference between who calls it May 8 th or 9 th is simply dependant on time zones!
Modern Day Germany
Although a lot of non-Commonwealth countries, such as France and Belgium, also recognise November 11 th as some form of Remembrance Day, Germany still has their own commemoration day – Volkstrauertag (Memorial Day). It begun shortly after World War 1, to remember the fallen soldiers, and took place on the second Sunday of Lent. The Nazis changed the name to Heldengedenktag (Day of Heroes), and for a while after World War 2 no day was recognised, as they were just became associated with the Nazis. Then in 1952 Volkstrauertag was revived and is celebrated to this day on the last Sunday before Advent.
There is also a separate memorial day on January 27 th for the victims of the Holocaust. In Germany it is known as the Day of Memory for the Victims of National Socialism, however it’s also celebrated internationally and is known as a variety of names.
Poland
This is an interesting one – it’s the same date as so many other countries have Remembrance Day on, November 11 th , however instead of being a sombre day of remembrance and respect, it is their Independence Day, since the end of the First World War was also the beginning of the modern state of Poland.
Australia and New Zealand
As well as marking November 11 th along with the rest of the Commonwealth, Australia and New Zealand have their own commemoration day on April 25 th – ANZAC Day. It’s the anniversary of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) arriving in Gallipoli to what was basically a blood bath, and although it was originally to remember those fallen soldiers, is now used as an opportunity to remember all soldiers from both countries that have fought in any wars. Every year, droves of Australians and New Zealanders will make pilgrimage trips to Gallipoli.
Japan
Not surprisingly, Japan has a completely different version of a memorial day. Marking the end of the Pacific War, it’s called The Day for Mourning the War Dead and Praying for Peace, and takes place on August 15 th – the day that Japan surrendered to the Allies.
