Thank you for this article, Francine. It was very interesting and I find the Volkstrauertag an inspiring commemoration. Especially these days when there are so many victims of wars and oppression who are not soldiers.

This is a wonderful article, Francine -- a beautiful tribute to a very meaningful and much needed message for all nations. I am very impressed with the reason for Remembrance Day and could not help but shed tears for the purpose of it. Thank you for this article. I shared it on facebook.

I very much like the concept of the "period in Germany which traditionally concentrates on thoughts of death, time and eternity, known as "Stillen Tagen". Quiet Days."

"Quiet Days" is a perfect way to describe the days to remember those lost to us and to reflect on what life and eternity means to us. Today, more than ever, we must remember and reflect on the message your article holds for all.

Hi Francine,

Really enjoyed your historically and culturally informative article!

Today, 20 de Noviembre, is a statutory national holiday, in rememberance/celebration of Mexico's 10 year (1910-1920) War of Revolution in which between 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 million people out of a total population died directly or indirectly as a result of that conflict.

However, there is nada silencio/QUIET about the holiday and has not been for weeks as whether one was in Churintzio or San Blas, Nayarit or most any other community you could hear the children practicing their melodic, er, I mean discordant and cacophonousdrum and bugle routines that will culminate in parades on 11/20 throughout the country. Making the noise level even higher will be youth in the parades dressed as revolutionaries shooting off blanks from their rifles.

In Mexico, similar to the even grander and noisier Patriotic Holiday, Independence Day celebrations of 9/15-16, this holiday is more to massively and communally join together in a fiesta/party like setting rather than a time to mourn for those that had fallen. Quiet it is not!