On Sunday, 10th November, St Michael's Church in Sittingbourne will host a Civic Service for Remembrance Sunday, bringing the community together to honour and remember those who served and sacrificed in conflicts past and present.
This annual gathering offers a solemn moment of reflection, gratitude and unity as Sittingbourne pays tribute to the courage and resilience of British service members. Local Councillors, community leaders, veterans and residents will join in hymns, prayers, and the laying of wreaths, commemorating the fallen and pledging to keep their memory alive.
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Service of Remembrance
on
Sunday 10th November, 2024
St Michael’s Church - 10am
&
Sittingbourne Town War Memorial - 11am
With assistance from Swale Borough Council and Community Groups
Supporting the National Poppy Appeal
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What is Remembrance Sunday?
Remembrance Sunday is now held on the second Sunday of November. It commemorates British service members who have died in wars and other military conflicts since the First World War.
Originally Remembrance Day was held on 11th November each year, as First World War hostilities ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. In 1956 the date was fixed as the second Sunday of November. Each year Remembrance Sunday remembers all those who fought and died in any conflict, as well as veterans and soldiers who are still serving for their country.
Why Poppies?
The most recognisable symbol of Remembrance Sunday is the red poppy, which became associated with World War I memorials after scores of the flowers bloomed on the former battlefields of Belgium and northern France. (The phenomenon was depicted in the popular 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields,” by Canadian soldier John McCrae.) In 1921 the newly formed British Legion (now the Royal British Legion), a charitable organisation for veterans, began selling red paper poppies for Armistice Day, and its annual Poppy Appeal has been enormously successful.
Why Two Minutes Silence?
This silent pause gives us an opportunity so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on remembering those who have sacrificed so much. The first minute represents all those who have died; and the second minute is for those who survived.
You can find a list of services and Acts of Remembrance taking place throughout the borough on Sunday, 10 November here.