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If you ever find yourself in Ypres, try to stop by the Menin Gate around eight in the evening. Every night, you’ll hear the sound of the Last Post echo through the arch—a tribute to the 54,000 Commonwealth soldiers who never came home. It’s been happening since 1928, and even now, it still feels just as moving.
In this post, we’ll share how it started and why it’s still such a big part of Ypres today.
A Brief History of the Ceremony
The Last Post at the Menin Gate began on July 1, 1928. It was started by the Last Post Association, a group of local people who wanted to honour the soldiers who fought and died around Ypres in the First World War.
Since then it has been played almost every evening without fail. The only pause came during the Second World War, when Ypres was under German occupation. Even then, the ceremony continued in England at Brookwood Cemetery. On the very day Ypres was liberated in 1944, the buglers returned to the Menin Gate and picked up the tradition again.
The ceremony has carried on ever since. It shows the lasting commitment of the town and its people to remember those who never came home.
Why the Ceremony Still Matters Today
The Last Post is more than a daily ritual. It is a reminder that the names carved into the Menin Gate are not just lines on stone but people who never came home.
What makes it powerful is how it continues to bring people together. Visitors come from across the world, some to lay wreaths, others simply to stand in silence. For school groups, it can be a first real glimpse of what remembrance means. For families it can be a way to connect with a part of history that shaped their lives.
The ceremony has carried on for nearly a century. Its message has not faded. It shows that even after so many years, the cost of war is something we should never forget.
Experiencing the Ceremony: What to Expect
People begin to gather at the Menin Gate from around 7pm. By the time the buglers arrive just before 8 pm the road is full and the noise has faded.
The ceremony itself is quiet and respectful. The buglers play the Last Post, there is a minute of silence, and on some evenings wreaths are laid at the memorial. Visitors often find the atmosphere moving, even if they have no personal link to the First World War.
Most nights the service finishes by about 8:20. Afterwards, people often walk along the walls of the gate to read the thousands of names carved there. It is a simple routine but it stays with you.
The Ceremony's Enduring Significance
What makes the Last Post Ceremony meaningful is how it has never stopped. Through the years, it has stayed the same, carrying the same purpose and respect. Each night, people gather to remember, showing that honouring the fallen is not just for one day in the year.
When the bugles play and the sound echoes under the arch, it feels like the names on the walls come to life for a moment.
Honouring the Fallen at the Menin Gate
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