Remembrance Day is a very significant day in my home. My brother is currently in the military, my dad was in the RCMP for 35 years and my uncle was in the Navy for 22 years. Each year on Remembrance Day our family attends the ceremony and march that happens in downtown Prince George. My dad is retired from the RCMP as of this year and no longer marches in the parade, but he did every year previous. My brother used to march in it along with my dad before he moved to Ontario to join the Royal Military College for a career as a fighter pilot. I think it's really important that we all take the time to respect the people who fought in the war for Canada, as well as respect the people who are currently in the military. It is a little closer to home attending the ceremony each year now, knowing that my little brother could potentially have to go overseas one day himself. There are a few small elements of art included in the ceremony and march each year such as the musical instruments played, poetry and letters read, traditional dances and the march itself.
Really, the ceremony is rich in arts elements, including visual and musical symbols that create community among people who share their meaning. You can have a valuable role in teaching these traditions, which likely seem more important in your family than in families with no military or public service connections. When I was young, I remember hearing about how painful it was for American soldiers who had gone to Vietnam to come home to protests about the war that included a lack of respect for what they had been through. We don't want to let that happen again - there must be ways that people can stand for peace and still support the troops.
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