Poppies for Remembrance Day
by Flower Experts Editor on November 11th
Flowers can be symbolic of many different things, feelings, places, people or occasions.In the case of poppies, which in practical terms can be used in the creation of opium, opiates and seeds for baking, these delicate and beautiful flowers are also powerful symbols of hope and commemoration. Indeed, Remembrance Day, which marks the German signing of the Armistice that brought about an end to fighting in the First World War, is honoured each year on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (the Armistice was signed at 11:00 on the 11/11/1918). In the build up to Remembrance Day and during the event itself, poppies – whether real or plastic – will be seen just about everywhere.
Many countries commemorate the end of World War I in various ways and, sometimes, on different days of the year. However, poppies signal a recurring theme all over the globe and, in the UK, poppy wreaths are laid at war memorials by representatives of the Crown,
armed forces, ex-servicemen and politicians. Poppies are also worn on the lapels of suits and jackets, whilst they can also be affixed to t-shirts, sweaters and so on. Moreover, Remembrance Day in the UK is marked by a huge ceremony comprising parades, official speeches and, most importantly, a nationwide minute's silence (sometimes two minutes).
The poppy was chosen as an emblem of Remembrance Day largely due to John McCrae's poem, 'In Flanders Fields', which described some of the most horrific battlefields in the war.
Indeed, a number of these desperate scenes of carnage took place in poppy fields. Red poppies are also significant because they symbolise bloodshed and innocence, which are unfortunately common to many battles. White poppies, on the other hand, are often worn as an expression of hope for worldwide peace.
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