Why people wear poppies in November
Have you ever placed a pin on your lapels?
Read this article from the National Post, a Canadian newspaper, and find out the meaning of the remembrance poppy used in some Commonwealth states in November.
The idea of a separate, pacifist poppy emerged in 1926, a product of the “No More War” Movement in England. It was simple enough: place a pin at the centre of the red poppy stating ‘No More War.’
It seems as though every few years a new debate erupts around Remembrance Day and how we should commemorate our military past. In other years, disputes have arisen about the futility or utility of the raid on Dieppe (a city of France) or the morality of the mass bombing of German and Japanese cities during the Second World War.
This year, the newest debate is over the correct colour of the poppy we wear on our lapels for Remembrance Day. Ottawa’s Rideau Institute encourages Canadians to wear the white poppy as a symbol of peace. Predictably, the initiative has generated significant controversy since its announcement earlier this week.
Elected representatives, the Legion and members of the press across the country have generally condemned the move, and public opinion appears to be firmly in the red camp this November. The white poppy, we are told, is disrespectful to the sacrifices of Canada’s veterans, ignoring the encompassing nature of the red poppy as a symbol of loss and remembrance. The white poppy, however, has a history that helps explain its ebbs and flows over the past 84 years, as well as its relationship to its more prolific red cousin.
What does it mean? Click and find out!
The Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty
to erupt (v) to suddenly express a particular feeling, especially anger, in a noisy way
dispute (n) a serious disagreement, especially one between groups of people that lasts for along time
lapel (n) one of the two parts at the front of a coat or jacket that are folded back on each sidebelow the collar
camp (n) a group of people within a larger group who have the same ideas orsupport the same person
encompassing (adj) including all or everything, comprehensive coverage
ebb (n) a period when something gradually becomes smaller or less
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