The most formal celebration of International Nurses Day occurs
in London's Westminster Abbey. Each May 12, there is a service
commemorating nurses. The event is culminated by the lighting of a
symbolic lamp in the Nurse's Chapel, then handed between a line of
nurses to the Dean, who places the lamp on the High Altar. This
ritual symbolizes the historical passing of knowledge from nurses
of one generation to the next generation. Other places in the world
have various kinds of rituals and commemoration events.