 Armistice Day is the anniversary of the symbolic end of World War I
on 11 November 1918.
The term "armistice" means a cessation of hostilities as a prelude to peace
negotiations.
It commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany at Rethondes,
France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front.
It was signed at 5 a.m. on the morning of 11 November 1918, and came into effect
six hours later at 11 a.m. So it is often quotes as "eleventh hour of the
eleventh day of the eleventh month".
After World War II, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day in the
United States and to Remembrance Day in countries of the British Commonwealth
of Nations.
It is an official holiday in Belgium, France, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe,
Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and
Futuna.
In Belgium, known also as the Day of Peace in the Flanders Fields.
In many parts of the world people take a two minute moment of silence at
11:00 a.m. as a sign of respect for the roughly 20 million who died in the World War's.
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