Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School

Armistice Day is on 11th November. It's also known as Remembrance Day.

A two minute silence is observed at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month because this is when World War I, or the Great War, ended in 1918.

This anniversary is used to remember all the people who have died in wars since World War I.

This includes World War II, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The first two minute silence in Britain was held on 11 November 1919, when King George V asked the public to observe a silence at 11am.

This was one year after the end of World War I.

He made the request so "the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead".

The second Sunday of November is Remembrance Sunday, but what does it all mean and what are you meant to do?

At 11am men, women and children all across Britain hold a two minute silence to remember the millions who have died in war.

The Royal Family, along with top politicians and religious leaders, gather at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, for a service.

The poppy was one of the first flowers to bloom on the battlefields of Flanders during World War 1. Their bright red colour symbolised the blood shed during the horrific conflict, but also the hope of new life, and the poppy became the symbol of Remembrance Day.

The Remembrance Poppy has been used as a symbol since 1920. Today, poppies are worn on clothing in the days leading up to Remembrance Day, and poppy wreaths are placed on war memorials. This is why Remembrance Day is often known as Poppy Day.

In the UK, poppies can be bought from The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. The money raised goes to help veterans of the armed services. Find out more about the Poppy Appeal and what you can do to help by clicking here.

The sight of these vibrant red flowers growing on the shattered ground caught the attention of a Canadian soldier by the name of John McCrae. He noticed how they had sprung up in the burial grounds around the artillery position he was in. Following the death of a friend in May 1915, he composed a poem. His poem has become one of the most famous ever written about the First World War.

An annual Remembrance Day service is held at the Cenataph in Whitehall, London, in honour of the servicemen and women who died for their country. More than one million men and women from Britain and the Commonwealth died in World War I between 1914 and 1918, and nearly 500,000 in World War II from 1939 to 1945. The service has changed little since it was first introduced in 1921, hymns are sung, prayers are said and a two minute silence is observed. Official wreaths are laid on the steps of The Cenotaph.

Her Majesty the Queen lays the first wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph and bows, followed one by one, by other adult members of the immediate Royal Family, who bow if in civilian dress, or salute if in military uniform. The next to lay their wreaths are The Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition and leaders of other political parties. They are followed by other people laying wreaths.

The ceremony ends with a march past of war veterans; a poignant gesture of respect for their fallen comrades. Literally meaning 'Empty Tomb' in Greek, The Cenotaph was designed by Edward Lutyens and was created from Portland stone, the inscription simply reads "The Glorious Dead".