It’s the day that most of us gloss over in our minds – we remember assemblies with poppies (maybe a bunch of kids pretending to be soldiers in the school play) and not much else. Remembrance Day isn’t one of the more popular holidays, but that doesn’t mean that it should be forgotten or ignored. Whatever your politics are, learning about history and how war has affected countless countries and people is important to appreciate what you have and where you live. This year, think about getting a bit more involved in Remembrance Day in TO.
Visit a veteran talk about their experiences
Even though World War I vets aren’t around anymore (since it’s been almost 100 years since the armistice itself) and WWII vets are becoming rarer and rarer, it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn valuable information from the people still around. Sometimes all we need is a new frame of mind to understand the world we live in, and getting a first-hand account from someone who’s been to a war zone is a great way to keep everything in perspective.
On a similar note, if you yourself are in charge of a class, group, or event, consider bringing in a veteran to talk about their experiences during wartime.
Not just vets – families have worthwhile stories too
A wife, a brother, a sister, a child – everyone who has a direct experience with a war has something unique and interesting to contribute. One of the most interesting things about the wartime mindset is what happens to people at home. You don’t need to be on the battlefield to be affected by tragedies, and domestic tragedies are just as numerous as battlefield ones. Some of the most important voices are the ones not written into the history books.
Put up a poppy donation box
They’re small, innocuous and go towards a great cause – not to mention they’re the prime way of handing out poppies to everyone. Spreading awareness and love is super important and the poppy, the universal peacetime symbol, should be spread as far and as wide as it can. The donation box is perfect because it’s almost entirely automatic – people toss in money and take a poppy. All you have to do is deliver the box to the proper location on the proper day. In terms of all the things there are to do to help, this one is the easiest and greatly effective.