Poppy

[Jaffa Cake]

Undoubtedly "Made in China".

Actually, I believe that they're assembled by the old veterans themselves.

 

[twoodcc]

yeah, i had no clue what this was....

 

[MacNut]

I thought this had something to do with getting high eating a poppy seed bagel or something.

 

[OwlsAndApples]

I've always bought one and always will.

 

[Queso]

I think it's incredibly important to remember that 90 and 75 years ago the world stopped and the men of this (and other) country(ies) put aside their lives to go and fight for the worlds freedom, and the rest of the country pulled together to help support them.

World War I was not about fighting for freedom. It was about the larger imperial powers trying to put upstarts back in their place, and failing magnificently. Those millions died because the upper-class idiots at the top of the British Empire didn't have the brainpower to adapt the 30 year old cavalry strategies they learned at military school, despite the invention of both the tank and machine gun. If even one of them had had a ****ing clue, it really would have been over by Christmas.

Don't lump the two world wars together. They were very different.

 

[iGav]

So how much do people put in as a donation?

Whatever I have available in change.

 

[Ish]

I always buy a poppy. It's my way of saying thank you. I think it's a shame, though, literally, that caring for those who have been injured fighting for their country should need to be done by a charity.

 

[arkitect]

Undoubtedly "Made in China".

Not at all, the majority of poppies sold is made in the The Poppy Factory in Richmond, (just around the corner from me in fact!) run by the Royal British Legion…

 

[Kernow]

Always have, always will. I'm 29.

Exactly the same for me.

I usually donate a minimum of £2

 

[Iscariot]

I'll be wearing a puppy this year.

 

[iGav]

Exactly the same for me.

I usually donate a minimum of £2

I remember when I was small, I put a nice shiny 10p in the box (10p was a lot to a 5 year old in the '80's, even more so when it was shiny ) outside of Waitrose in Bracknell, and the old fella proudly pinned a poppy on my coat. It's stuck with me since then I think.

I do give more than 10p now of course though.

 

[Stampyhead]

oh so after reading wiki apparently it's a flower that you pin on your coat to signify rememberance for veterans day?

Or Armistice Day, as it's known outside the US.

 

[r1ch4rd]

Or Armistice Day, as it's known outside the US.

We call it Remembrance Day in the UK.

 

[mad jew]

I always get one. I don't see many others around with them on though. We're all about pink breast cancer ribbons here at the moment.

 

[rickvanr]

We call it Remembrance Day in the UK.

.. and Canada

I bought my poppy a couple weeks ago

 

[CalBoy]

oh so after reading wiki apparently it's a flower that you pin on your coat to signify rememberance for veterans day?

Of course the natural question comes to mind; "how many Americans know why we celebrate Veterans Day?" I bet most Americans can't even name the exact date that WWI ended...how sad.

However, I believe the poppy is meant to signify your support of all troops, not just British troops who happened to have served in WWI, as there can't be many veterans of WWI alive (if any) left in the World today.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

However, I believe the poppy is meant to signify your support of all troops, not just British troops who happened to have served in WWI, as there can't be many veterans of WWI alive (if any) left in the World today.

Indeed. The Haig Fund – which proceeds from the poppy sales goes to – was initially established to assist ex-servicemen disabled in the First World War.

The monies though go to help support veterans from all conflicts and military actions up to the present day, so the couple of pounds you give to the elderly gent in the shopping centre in exchange for your poppy could help care for an ex-serviceman (or their dependants, I believe) who served in WWII, the Falklands, the Gulf War or many other situations.

 

[mad jew]

All the TV stations and radio stations had their minute silence a little while ago, which was nice to hear... Or not hear as the case may be.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Something I've just noticed looking at my poppy... I'm sure that the black bit in the middle used to say 'Haig Fund' on it, now though it says 'Poppy Appeal'. When did they change that?!

 

[OllyW]

Of course the natural question comes to mind; "how many Americans know why we celebrate Veterans Day?" I bet most Americans can't even name the exact date that WWI ended...how sad.

However, I believe the poppy is meant to signify your support of all troops, not just British troops who happened to have served in WWI, as there can't be many veterans of WWI alive (if any) left in the World today.

There are a few hanging in there.

 

[CalBoy]

There are a few hanging in there.

Thanks for the link. I thought as much that a handful would be left, but I wasn't sure.

 

[fistful]

I haven't worn one in a few years. My mother gave me one a few weeks ago but I seem to have misplaced it, not sure I'd wear it regardless.

One thing I noticed is the center is now black (just like real poppies) instead of the green. When did this happen?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Where do you live, fistful? The poppies have had black centres for as long as I can remember, here in the UK at least...

 

[fistful]

Where do you live, fistful? The poppies have had black centres for as long as I can remember, here in the UK at least...

Canada. I always remembered the poppies having a green center growing up.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

According to Wikipedia at least, the change to the Canadian poppies happened in 2002. Apparently the original green represented the fields of France, the new black centre is intended to be more accurate to real poppies.