During one of those lazy morning breakfast with sleep still under our eyes and zoning out to BBC news, Bram and I couldn’t help notice that all the presenters were wearing what appeared to be plastic red flowers on their lapels.

It was as if they were worn in solidarity for a greater cause. My infamous curiosity once again couldn’t resist trying to figure out what was behind these adorable flowers so proudly worn on their lapels. It didn’t take too long to find out that the red flower is actually an artificial Poppy worn by the British to commemorate their fellow brethren who fought and are still fighting wars for their country on Remembrance Day, November 11th. On that blessed November 11th morning of 1918, an armistice was signed in Compiègne, Northern France putting an end to World War I. The poppies are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans and the price of each poppy is based on each individual’s generosity.

To avoid what is labeled as “competitive poppy wearing“, the BBC presenters were given a mandate that they could only be worn from 6am on October 24 until 11:59pm on Wednesday November 11.  Poppy wearing has become so ingrained in the British culture that there is even an official etiquette guideline about the do’s and dont’s in regards to poppy wearing.

According to the etiquette guideline, the tradition of Poppy wearing was actually started from across the pond, by an American teacher named Moina Bell Michael who sold silk poppies to raise money for the ex-service community. Surprisingly, by 1920, the United States declared the poppy as the national emblem of remembrance. It was later adopted a year later in 1921 by their British counterparts, signifying the first “Poppy Day” throughout the Common Wealth.

Why a poppy to signify Remembrance Day? A little bit more of research led me to the bitter sweet story of how millions of poppies bloomed in fields (the Western Front) where the battles were fought. Stories passed down from generation to generation claim that all the fighting churned up so much soil that allowed thousands upon thousands of poppy seeds to finally take hold and bloom like never before. Internet legend holds that the most infamous bloom of poppies in the war was in Ypres, a town in Flanders,Belgium crucial to the Allied defense. Canadian physician Major John McCrae was so moved by the ironically beautiful display of poppies swaying in fields where only moments (months) before was once was so much bloodshed, of lives lost and dreams erased, that he wrote what was arguably the most famous war poem, “In Flanders Fields”.

{Image courtesy of Hartmut-Lerch}

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

First stanza of “In Flanders Fields”
by Major John McCrae (1872-1918)

Though I personally do not know anyone who fought in World War I, I do know how it feels to have a loved one fight in a war and the constant uncertainty and worry that permeates your whole being while you anxiously and silently wait for them to come safely home. My younger brother Ryan, volunteered for the US Air Force at the age of 18 at the start of the US-Iraq war, convinced that it was a way of honoring his own country and fighting to preserve the “America” he believed in.

With God’s grace, he came home, bruised and battered by the toils of four years of war, but at least safe in the comfort of my parent’s home once again. Although I personally do not believe in the wayward politics and all the propaganda behind all the fighting in the Middle East, I can relate to all the sacrifices made and the tragic losses that have affected all of us one way or another. My own personal convictions against war are beyond the scope of this post–rather I would like to take the time to extend my gratitude to all the men and women who have fought and continue to fight.

To the Brits, especially the BBC news correspondents and of course those in the armed forces, thank-you for letting me be part of your communal solidarity in remembrance of those who have paid the ultimate price for our own freedoms. I hope to take part in your two minutes of silence next Wednesday to show my support.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 1:58 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.