NAMA: ANDI DIAN FITRIANI IBRAHIM

NIM: F21110292

TUGAS MID PRANATA INGGRIS AMERIKA

DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN REMEMBRANCE DAY IN ENGLAND AND MEMORIAL DAY IN INDONESIA

Each state must have a wide range of differences, including England and Indonesia. Both countries have many differences that we can see very clearly. One aspect that can be seen is the difference in the determination of national holiday's aspect and how to commemorate it.

England and Indonesia is also a country that has a lot of important days to be observed. Religious holiday celebrated looks very dominant in both countries. We will not discuss all the day-to-day of national holiday of both country, but only in terms of the day which becomes days for remembering their heroes or veterans in both countries.

Independence Day is a day that is usually an important day for the countries that have been free from colonial country. Indonesia has the independence, because it managed to escape from the Netherlands. Unlike Indonesia, England is a country that does not have the independence because England is a country that never experienced colonial occupation but England still has a national holiday that is supposed to be a day to remember the veterans and the victims of war. This is the fundamental difference between the Indonesia and England.

Although, there is difference in the Independent day, but the two countries have the thing which is in common. Both country marked and memorialized the historical day for the heroes and veteran. Indonesia has a Memorial Day or Hari Pahlawan which falls on the November 10th, while England has a Remembrance Day or poppy day on November 11th.

There are still some of the differences and similarities between the Remembrance Day in England and Memorial Day in Indonesia. Distinction of commemoration of Remembrance Day and Memorial Day can be evidenced by some aspects such as symbols and history that contained on them. Also the way both country held and celebrate the day.

The symbols which have to be displayed in England are a flower named poppy and small wooden crosses which is Indonesia does not have any. Poppy flower is one of symbols of the Remembrance Day so that is why England called Remembrance Day also as Poppy Day. It happens because it is traditional way in England to wear an artificial poppy. The Poppies are sold by the Royal British Legion. It is from a charity that is dedicated to help war veterans.

In historical side, poppy flower becomes an icon of Remembrance Day because "a Canadian doctor, John McCrae, wrote a poem in 1915 about the devastation he saw in the Flanders area of Belgium and in northern France during the First World War. The land lay destroyed by terrible battles, and many men were buried there. But despite the devastation of battle, the wild poppies survived. Dr McCrae's poem was published in Punch magazine, and the poppy became the symbol of remembrance". (Activityvillage 2012)

John McCrae also agrees that poppy has important meaning in it because that flower is "one of the most ancient of plants was selected originally as the emblem of consolation, denoting sleep, rest and repose. In Roman mythology, Morpheus, the god of dreams, fashioned crowns of poppies to give to those he wanted to send to sleep. ... But most importantly the poppy tends to grow where ground has been disturbed. They grew in great abundance in the shell-torn fields of Flanders during the War. Because of its abundance it became the symbol of remembrance of two world wars".

Besides poppy, another symbol of poppy day is small wooden crosses. That stuffs are important to British people "because wooden cross like a symbol of peace to remember dead people that they love. They put those crosses near war memorials around the country, and local branches of the Royal British Legion lay wreaths". ( Liet Col)

Sense of this poppy day become very important to people in England. The day " is is a time for reflection and for gratitude as we remember the debt we owe to those who gave their lives in the service of their country in the two World Wars and in more recent conflicts." (First Minister of England)

Then, another point is the similarities and distinctions between England and Indonesia conducted the commemoration of the day. The similarity is the way both countries did is formal ceremony that is implemented by the citizen of those nations. Moreover, the distinctions also appeared in the implementation of that ceremony.

British people held the Remembrance Day in the different places with glorious ways. In an article titled spots in London where you can pay your respects on remembrance by ITV NEWS (2012) writes that British people, especially in London conducted the parade in Whitehall. Several members from the Royal Family and Prime Minister associated together with the recent and ex-member of a military force, before heading to the Cenotaph. There is also a poppy flower putting ceremony which takes place in front of the people in the Cenotaph and also a two-minute silence at 11am after that.

Another place is in the St Paul Cathedral of St Paul, after two minutes silent prayer at 11 am, nobility and titled people such as dukes, lords, ladies and veterans will be singing with Cathedral Choir. Next place is In the Royal Albert Hall; Royal British Legion will arrange something like Festival of Remembrance. In that festival, there are concerts with famous singers from England and military band.

There are also free workshops of children for making poppies drawing around the Museum. The children there will be taught to know more about the ceremony of poppy day. The drawing poppies that children already made will be displayed as a symbol to demonstrate that they still remember the sacrifices of the people who dead, and make the children understand the value of life.

Different with England which has several symbols for celebration, Indonesia does not have simbolism aspect like poppy or wooden cross. Still there is also a history of November 10th that is marked as Memorial Day in Indonesia. One of famous blog news, Infonews.com, posted an article titled Makna Hari Pahlawan 10 November. Infonews (2012) informed on their article, it was in Surabaya at that time, the battle between the NICA army of the Dutch with Surabaya people. Sumarsono, a former top leader of the Republic of Indonesia Youth organization, which also participated in the war that suggested November 10th marked as Memorial Day and it was agreed by Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia.

Indonesia also has its original ways to manage the commemoration of Memorial Day that is definitely different with England. Even though Indonesia and England has little bit in common, such as in formal ceremonial aspect that England and Indonesia might have similarity about President or Prime Minister led the ceremony but the way people in Indonesia celebrated this event is really different and unique. Demonstrations and orations by students of college, then special events in high schools, and fashion show in Jakarta become the unique events that is conducted in Indonesia

Several students of college in Indonesia prefer to demonstrate their concern by doing oration. According to , the students chose public places to do that actions. They brought big spanducs and doing long march. There is also an impact from that actions such as traffic jam around that places.

Then, in Jakarta Some of model agencies held fashion show themed Memorial Day. writes that the gancy such as Bayu Ramli Modeling conducted fashion show on the street. The models of that agency walked by wearing outfits that still have sanse of Memorial Day.

Also high school students in Indonesia have different way to show their interest to the event. This is proved by , Kompas reported that some of high school in Pasuruan City made useful actions by collecting rubish from the streets around their school. Even though the students just did that simple way, it shows that the students still have concern about the celebration and they still care about their beloved country, Indonesia.

The conclude is that there are still some similarities and also differences between England and Indonwsia while celebrated their national event that we can see through the ways the citizen from each country held the day. Both England and Indonesia they have their uniqueness. England with their precious poppy flower and little wooden crosses, Indonesia with their orations, collected rubish and fashion show. These differences can be used as benchmarks to see the extent of public concern that can be seen in the historical meaning of each country.

REFFERENCES :

news/london/2012-11-09/spots-in-london-where-you-c an-pay-your-respects-on-remembrance-sunday/

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. /uk/2012/dec/20/poppy

.co/read/beritafoto/4052/Berbagai-Cara-untuk-Mempe ringati-Hari-Pahlawan/3

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PHOTO DOCUMENTS :

Doc. .uk

Note : the poppies and the little wooden crosses, symbols of remembrance day in England.

Purwanto from

Note : Fashion Show on the street held by a model agency for celebrating Memorial Day in Indonesia.

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