Today is Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day has always been an important holiday for me and it is the one holiday that I am glad to say has not become commercialized. In reality, how can you commercialize death? How can you turn a holiday that is to thank all soldiers for their service into a commercial holiday?
Canadian Poppy
This year has been even more important after the shooting in Canada on October 22nd. It was a terrible event that strengthened Canadians and, by my own personal feelings, made us stronger. From Nov. 1 till Nov. 11, in Canada and many other Commonwealth countries, you can buy a poppy where the funds go to the veterans. It is a noble cause and one that I continue to support when I can. While I am not in Canada this year for the events, I will still be wearing my poppy proudly on Nov. 11 and being thankful that I am in a country that is relatively at peace with its neighbours.
Canadian Poppy
The following poem is the most important poem in Canada for Remembrance Day.
In Flanders Fields
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.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fieldsTake up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
I remember seeing the guests on The Graham Norton Show wearing the poppies last year and I had no idea what it was for. But this year I saw an article about the thousands of poppies that were placed in the moat of Tower of London and I finally figured it out. It was beautiful. That’s interesting that Remembrance Day and Veterans Day in the US are on the same day. Also glad you got to support your veterans through the pretty poppy.
PS: Why the poppy though? Is it because poppies are mentioned in the poem?
Actually, Remembrance Day and Veterans Day both evolved from the same holiday, Armistice Day. Armistice Day is the official end of WWI, which was on Nov. 11, at 11 am. The only difference is that on Remembrance Day, we remember the dead while that is done with Memorial Day in the US. Veterans Day is for the ones are are still living. (Thank you Wikipedia for the quick info 😉 )
As for the poppy, you are correct.
“The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I; their brilliant red colour became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.” (Wikipedia)