The BBC apparently flies them around the world so that its correspondents can wear them when they appear on camera. Maybe that is one reason why during the 1950s and 60s, when I grew up, Remembrance Day was treated much differently. Even those who did not do so often shrank at glorifying it. Many who experienced subsequent wars saw war as wrong. In very large numbers, they rejected the war as pointless and brutal slaughter. The survivors of the First World War did not view their experience as heroic, although it involved great bravery and hardship. Yet the whole message contrasts with the views of many former soldiers themselves. The poppy appeal is an important part of getting this message across. The image of soldiers as heroes and their role as a force for good has been repeatedly promoted, even when it is contradicted by the actions of the British army in war situations, and by the actions of individual soldiers accused of maltreatment of Afghans or Iraqis. Organisations such as Help for Heroes have been set up in recent years to highlight the need to help injured soldiers and their families. The Ministry of Defence has been particularly keen to separate out opposition to wars from support for the troops. Recently that strength of opinion was shown to have even penetrated the brains of MPs when David Cameron lost a vote in parliament to launch air strikes on Syria. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been deeply unpopular, with regular high levels of opposition shown in opinion polls. Everyone should be saddened at the death of a single person in combat, but that should not be used to justify wars that have no logical justification. Now that isn’t about remembering the dead. The slogan this year is ‘Shoulder to Shoulder with all who serve.’ The events are organised by the British legion. It’s hard not to see the present poppy appeals as highly politicised. The red poppy was adopted as the symbol of remembrance because of the large numbers of those flowers that flourished in some of the most deadly battlefields ever seen.įor much of the nearly 100 years since remembrance began, the symbol and associated ceremonies have been low key, without much wider political significance. Remembrance Day is on November 11th, to mark the date on which the carnage of the First World War ended. Instead my poppy will be white, as a symbol of peace. The poppy appeal has been launched in the run up to Remembrance Day. Thank you for supporting my work and this blog.The white poppy is about peace: lots of people think the red poppy is as well, but we cannot allow the politicians to use it to support militarism and war You can see my full disclosure policy here. I will earn a small percentage if you purchase any item through the links on this site, but it will be at no cost to you. Please note, that this post may contain affiliate links. This is a great choice when you want something sophisticated yet still focused on the reason for the season. Lastly is the white and navy striped placemats with poppies decorated throughout the placemat itself. These also work well as decorative aspects for tables, too. One features a green diamond-patterned green placemat with a black center and scalloped red poppy that is wonderful for a simple design.Īnother placemat uses the same green base with three small poppies in the corner to help you pay your respects a bit more obviously. This is great for those that want to pay their respects but still enjoy it in a different way.įor home decor that helps you acknowledge how unique crochet poppy patterns can be, you’ll love the placemat designs. If you want something a bit different, you can enjoy a red poppy with a black center attached to a hair tie. It’s a wonderful idea for really exploring pins that help you enjoy a reusable poppy. There is also this same design with two tiers of red and a black dot in the middle. There is another similar one that uses two tiers of red with a black center and a hexagon-style green base that clips onto the shirt, too. This is a simple design to pin onto your shirt as you want to. There are many ways that you can explore the poppy for this season The first is a classic one with a black center, rounded red leaves, and a green leaf.
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