Why is the air tattoo known thus?

The original meaning is a drum performance and it dates from the 17th Century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries. Drummers from the garrison town were sent into town at 9.30 pm to warn the soldiers that it was time to return to barracks and an instruction to inn keepers that it was time to stop serving beer. The Dutch Words were Do Den Tap Toe. The drummers continued to play until curfew at 10pm. After a while the process became more of a show, including the First Post and The Last Post. It developed from there in military life and became a show for the general population and a display of military might