Volkstrauertag

It's a little bit difficult here to follow the UK practice on Armistice Day 11th November. Here as in many continental European countries, it is known as St Martins Day, a traditionally important day in rural areas, signify the end of the agricultural year, a time to pay rents and celebrated with a roast goose which then neatly links to St Martin and his, much to his dismay,  being discovered by Geese. Geese were anyway seldom kept over winter. Our eight geese are still alive but......

St Martins Day is nowadays best known for evening lantern parades by kindergarten children, usually after a church service, parading through the village behind a horse and rider dressed as the Roman soldier St Martin. There then follows hot drinks and sweet buns at the local village hall.

In the carnival hotspots in the Köln area but also around the country in a few events, the start of carnival is celebrated at 11:11am.

However today is the equivalent of the UK's Remembrance Sunday, Volkstrauertag  celebrated on 2nd Sunday before Advent. A national holiday and one of the few "Still Days" meaning amongst other things no dancing/discos or public music entertainment. The ceremonies are in effect the same as in the UK, normally headed up by the local Veterans Society. Last year I Bliped the village procession.


This year Farmer Franz was due to give a "speech" at the ceremony as he is one of the leading people in the society, although I don't think he ever served even in the compulsory service  when he was of age in the 70's. The society plays an important role in village life, maintaining the memorials of all victims, regardless of nation, of war and oppression.


I took the morning walk as an opportunity to reflect, the weather playing it's part. This will be taken the wrong way but I somehow get the feeling that the services in the UK are turning in to a "media event". I would be wearing a poppy today if they were available - I luckily didn't, as far as I am aware, have any immediate family who were lost in the two World Wars. Both my grandfathers possibly served in WW1 but both died of illness in the 1930's. My grandmother's both survived. My father voluntarily signed up, I think early 1940 and served in the Far East. My mother as a teenager survived the bombing of the industrial area around Dortmund where she was born. Neither of my parents talked openly or freely about the war times but my father did manage to attend a few reunions when we lived in the UK. Respecting and remembering on 11.11 was part of my upbringing. A quiet, reflective time.


My problem nowadays is that the event helps in part to glorify war. War is the ultimate sign of failure. And I am not talking about the acts of bravery and the ultimate sacrifice paid by countless individuals. The millions, alone in the last 102 years, who gave and lost their lives, did so under appalling, painful conditions. And why? Because we the "citizens" didn't stand up to the bullying, the lies, the greed, the hatred of a few.


We have to accept the results of democratic decisions but we must ensure we show the Putins, Farages and Trumps of this world where the red lines are. We are in danger of creating new Czars, Kings  and Emperors who will lead a generation to their deaths for the sake of a bit of egoistic sabre rattling.


Lest we forget.