Around the world, on November 11th, many countries observe Remembrance Day (also known as Armistice Day and Veteran’s Day) to commemorate the the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war. In 1918, major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
In Japan, November 11th was chosen as Origami Day by the Nippon Origami Association because it matched the idea of peace expressed in Remembrance Day, the end of World War I in 1918.
A thousand origami cranes has become a symbol of peace through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb who died of leukemia after radiation exposure. Sasaki heard the Japanese legend that whomever folded 1000 paper cranes would receive one wish. She began folding her cranes but died before completing her goal. Her friends completed the folding and buried them with her. A memorial to her currently stands in Hiroshima today, and is always surrounded by paper cranes.
Today and all days, may peace be with you.
The Peace symbol, originally the symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament