Armed Forces Remembrance and Poppy Day Commemorated

17-Nov-2025

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The Armed Forces Remembrance and Poppy Day commemoration was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Cenotaph War Memorial located in Colombo’s Viharamahadevi Park.

The Cenotaph, designed by architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, honours Sri Lankan military personnel who died during the First and Second World Wars and is one of the country’s oldest and most prominent war memorials. A national remembrance ceremony is held here annually on the Sunday closest to November 11.

During the ceremony, the Prime Minister laid a wreath of poppies at the memorial to honour the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Poppy Day has been observed since 1919 in Great Britain to commemorate those who died in World War I, where the poppy became the symbol of remembrance. The symbolic significance originated from the poem written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who was inspired by the poppies growing on the graves of fallen soldiers in Belgium. 

Later, the global recognition of the poppy was strengthened when Moina Michael of the American Young Women’s Christian Association sold poppies to support the families of deceased soldiers.

The event in Colombo was jointly organised by the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association and the armed forces. It was attended by State Minister of Defense Major General (Retd.) Arun Jayasekera, Defense Ministry Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyyakontha, military commanders, retired commanders, diplomats, and a large number of members of the Ex-Servicemen’s Association.