UnderRated: Tradition
Watching the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall a few weeks ago, I was reminded of the importance of tradition.
This service has been taking place for decades and has been televised for as long as I can remember. It is something which I endeavour to watch every year, particularly since the advent of my children.
There is something about the ceremony itself which sums up everything that is important about tradition.
The presence of the Queen and the Royal Family, all bowing and honouring a stone monument to the memory of those who died to preserve our future. Our democratically elected officials representing us and laying wreaths on our behalf, whilst the clergy of the Church of England and many other denominations administer to the spiritual side of the event. The bugles sounding The Last Post and the brass bands playing favourite hymns and relevant tunes from the War years. The stentorian tones of the Sergeant Major commanding all to stand to attention or make easy. The huge variety of uniforms, the poppy encrusted wreaths and participants.
Traditions which go back for centuries are the backbone of our Nation and what make us so unique.
We lose any of them at our peril.
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4 comments:
Here in Oz we're having problems with our remembrance days. Because of sensitivity to immigrants (who we were at war with at the time) our schools etc. no longer do remembrance day or honour our war dead...most anglo Aussies are way pissed that our war dead are no longer being recognised for their efforts and sacrifices.
Tempo - That's so strange. Our politically correct world has gone mad. Surely remembrance day can be allowed to remember all who died in such wars,forgetting the rights and wrongs of the original causes. The Japanese, Italian and German immigrants who now live in our nations died bravely fighting for their country too, albeit they were doing so at the behest of a dictator. To just stop remembering their sacrifices leaves the door open to the possibility that such dictators could be allowed to seize power again... and that's what I mean about the importance of tradition.
It is SO SAD to see, that in less than a year, on this side of the Pond, that our freedoms are being eroded so badly. The one who is Suppose to be the Commander in Chief, WILL NOT even salute or put his hand over his heart, (our Tradition of Respect)at a ceremony to Honor our Veterans, both living and dead.
Over 200 years of Tradition is being Flushed.
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