Should we have a public holiday to mark Remembrance Day?

Posted by Desperate-Eye1631@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 24 comments

I work for a US company and a colleague over there cancelled a meeting with me on Monday as he won’t be in the office as they have a Veterans Day holiday.

Made me think….why the heck don’t we have a day to mark one of the most important events of our country???

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Damon_Mors@reddit

Rememberance day today, and just past 11 and....nothing!! No minutes of silence, no parades on the sunday either. Nothing!! Either have a holiday so people can remember it and witness it, or just get rid of it because people are starting not to care about it. In Australia ANZAC day is still practiced with marches and parades and dawn service, but that's facilitated through a holiday. It's sad to say but without one remembrance Day will flow out of public consciousness and be lost to time.

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Inner-Device-4530@reddit

Whilst I like the idea at first glance, the reality is people won't spend it remembering the fallen, acknowledging the sacrifice others have made. They will have long weekends at centerparcs with the kids and decorating the spare bedroom, which kind of defeats the object

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Desperate-Eye1631@reddit (OP)

Completely agree. Which is why it is an opportunity. There is no more togetherness in this country. Unfortunately.

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Evieveevee@reddit

I now live in Oz. We get ANZAC Day as a public holiday and a very high percentage of people attend dawn services that morning. It’s just a given, usually followed by a bbq breakfast. All primary and senior schools have a service too beforehand. Most shops are closed. It’s actually very humbling seeing how the Aussies commemorate them.

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Personal-Listen-4941@reddit

What would be done differently to mark the day if schools & other businesses were shut?

There’s services, parades, etc on Remembrance Sunday, so they don’t need to be duplicated. The 2 minute silence takes place anyway. People wear poppies & there’s related media coverage.

If it was a Bank Holiday, how would it change or improve how the day is marked?

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Desperate-Eye1631@reddit (OP)

Some people still work on Sundays. And for many it is their only real day off.

Having a dedicated public holiday where we actively promote reflection is something that could bring the country together again, old and new members of this country.

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LowerEntertainer7548@reddit

I used to work weekends and everyone used to stop and observe the 2 minutes silence, so nothing would change

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Drath101@reddit

This combined with the fact that lots of those jobs that work Sundays would still work Sundays if it was a bank holiday.... Retail, hospitality, emergency services etc.

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New_Expectations5808@reddit

No it won't.

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mhoulden@reddit

A lot of places have 2 minutes' silence on the day. Even buses will pull over. It's quite a new thing. When I was in the Scouts and Air Cadets in the 90s they'd usually only do Remembrance Sunday (with one minute's silence), not 11th Nov as well.

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PM_THE_REAPER@reddit

I work closely with the US and they don't get as many 'Bank Holidays'. We get plenty, so let them have it and we'll mark the occasion on Remembrance Sunday.

I'm not UK born, but I was a soldier and I show my respect accordingly to those who were less fortunate than I. Salute!

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wardyms@reddit

I wonder if American employers not giving very much annual leave also plays a part in this.

A bit like the tipping culture. They don’t give you enough leave (or pay staff properly) so it’s got to be topped up by public holidays (tips).

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Kirstemis@reddit

I think making it a public holiday would cheapen it. Remembrance Sunday is all about the acts of remembrance - the service at the Cenotaph, the nationwide silence at 1100, the laying of the wreaths. The minute you make it a public holiday it's going to be about Christmas shopping, black Friday, and moaning about why the hell would anyone add a public holiday in November when it's almost certainly going to rain.

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Accurate_Prompt_8800@reddit

Remembrance Sunday is the day…

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Desperate-Eye1631@reddit (OP)

France, US, Canada….many mark this important event with a public holiday. I just find it strange that the UK does not.

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Desperate-Eye1631@reddit (OP)

I guess it rubs off on you after a while!

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