In the weeks leading up to Remembrance Sunday (the Sunday before November 11th) and Armistice Day, volunteers sell paper poppy lapel pins and other poppy merchandise for the Poppy Appeal (British Legion).
Starting at 11am on Armistice Day, the entire nation holds two minutes of silence to honor those who gave their lives in World War I, World War II, and all later conflicts. This even extends to London emergency sirens and some even pause their online posting as a way to show respect.
All over England people wear poppy pins, stores have special signs, taxies and lorries have poppies adorning their car hoods/bonnets showing their support. It is nice to feel a part of a positive movement that brings the country together for a common cause.
It used to be Armistice Day in the US but with all the wars they lumped all the vets together. We also used to have poppies associated with the day but I have no idea what happened to them. Interesting how things morph in the US. Not always for the better. Also interesting to see what an effect that war had on the European countries; no wonder they were willing to give in to Hitler rather than see another world war!
ReplyDelete