On this day in 1918, World War I, one of the largest and deadliest wars in history, effectively ended.
Americans honor the occasion with Veterans Day. The U.S. initially celebrated Armistice Day, but in 1954 the name was changed to include all veterans.
How do other countries commemorate their World War I troops?
In Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations, the bright red poppy is an enduring symbol, popularized by “In Flanders Fields,” once called “the perfect war poem” by The New York Times.
Canadians celebrate Remembrance Day, which once shared its date with Thanksgiving. To avoid having its veterans overshadowed by food, the government pushed the turkey and stuffing to October.
While most such events are solemn, Anzac Day in Australia, held in April, has a boisterous side. Revelers pack bars for the rare chance to legally play two-up, a gambling coin-flip game popular with soldiers from Australia and New Zealand.
Parades and memorials are held in parts of Britain’s former empire, including Kenya, South Africa and areas of India and the Caribbean, even as their World War I contributions are largely overlooked.
But they are getting new attention. The British Library recently posted a trove of letters by Indian soldiers, including one with a poem.
Its author writes that his fellow soldiers would “Like tigers, spring upon the prey/And tear the German goat away.”
