Armistice Day
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On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the World War I ceasefire and Armistice—the agreement to end World War I—came into effect. Though fighting would continue until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, the signing of the ceasefire on a train car in Compiègne, France on the morning of November 11, 1918, meant the war was coming to a close.
A year later, on November 11, 1920, France marked its first Armistice Day by burying an unknown soldier with full military honors at the base of the Arc de Triomphe. Two years later, in 1922, France declared Armistice Day a holiday, giving its citizens a day off in honor of those soldiers who perished in World War I—and, since 2012, in honor of all those who have died for France.
Today, Armistice Day is observed in a variety of ways, including military gun salutes in each city. Many cities also host a parade—including in Paris, where the French president lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe. It’s also common for people to wear a bleuet (or cornflower) or French military colors (red, white, and blue) in honor of those lost.
How to prepare:
Our offices will be closed for Armistice Day on [insert date]. Please turn on your out of office messages for the duration of the holiday.
How to commemorate Armistice Day:
Armistice Day honors all the brave people that have fought and died for France. If you want to commemorate Armistice Day—and show your respect for those fallen soldiers—consider:
- Wearing red, white, and blue
- Wearing a bleuet pin
- Visiting a military monument, memorial, or cemetery
