Online Commemoration Day Sunrise Ceremony

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Honour the Battle of the Somme with a sunrise ceremony tradition, hosted by US Branch #25 of the Royal Canadian Legion, representing the San Francisco Bay Area.

While the first day of July is a celebration in most of Canada, for Newfoundland and Labrador it is also a day for sombre remembrance as it is also Commemoration Day (also known as Memorial Day), when we remember the tragically destructive events of July 1st, 1916.

It is the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, when 806 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment climbed out of their trenches and went “over the top” at 8:45am as part of the battle of Beaumont-Hamel. In less than an hour, the regiment was devastated, most killed or wounded within the first 20 minutes of the battle. The next morning, only 68 soldiers answered roll call. Commemoration Day was established in 1917, just one year later.

After Confederation with Canada, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador continued the tradition of Commemoration Day during the morning of July 1st, and reserved the remainder of the day to celebrate Canada Day.

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