Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday is held on the Sunday nearest to November 11, Armistice Day (anniversary of the end of WW1). Ceremonies are held across the UK, and Oxford held a parade and service on St. Giles', a main road that is home to the war memorial (I also live on it). Remembrance poppies are a way bigger deal here than in the US - everyone seems to wear them in the weeks before Remembrance Day - and wreaths of poppies are placed on war memorials. More on the commemoration activities after the jump:

The parade up St. Giles consisted of current members of the armed forces, university officials, and veterans. 

They marched to the War Memorial, where a remembrance service was held. Prayers were said by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindi, and Sikh clergy. A song was sung, and even the police got involved with the service.

People then placed wreaths of poppies around the war memorial before the National Anthem was sung. 

After the service, everyone involved marched away from the memorial.

When everything was over, we were allowed to go up to the war memorial to look at the wreathes.

 There was even a wreath of white anti-war poppies. Some people think the white poppies undermine the message of remembrance of the red poppies. 

Later in the evening, I went to the Remembrance Sunday service at the Balliol College chapel. Considering the UK isn't a very religious country, I was surprised that the chapel was full. I realized why once the chapel choir stood up - they made up at least half of the people in the pews. The service was different from the ones I've been to at Georgetown, with the main difference being that everyone did not get up to take (or not take) communion. Maybe that had to do with the fact that this was a special service.

Going back in time a little bit, one day I ran into the army cadet band on Cornmarket St. playing in support of the Poppy Appeal. They were playing a song that sounded familiar, and then I realized it was the Georgetown alma mater! It turns out that the tune is actually from a British military march, Men of Harlech.