The Poppy

[Gnevin]

The vast vast vast majority in the north of Ireland wear it to remind themselves and everyone else that they're british. My mum would buy one, but would never be seen wearing it

Agree, and my mam too used to buy one or two.  I notice the Dutch, French or Belgians don't bother with the poppy.  Does anyone know why that might be?

It was generally the commonwealth nations that adopted the poppy. Canada, Australia et al

In fact the Canadian have the poppy on the quarter from 2008.

Thanks.  Never knew that.  The poppy is not a common sight in Aus.

Isn't Anzac Day more widely remembered over there? I don't think the Commonwealth nations go in for the 3 week event like the BBC do. In Canada anyway from what I have been told people attending a remembrance event will ware one on the day but not for a week before hand.

[Evil Genius]

i find it a feck you badge rather than a mark of respect  to  someone who died in ww1 or ww2.

Have you ever had a conversation with a Poppy wearer to ask why they do so? I daresay that some wear it as a badge of identity, even as a "feck you badge", but in my own experience many, many more do so in memory of someone close to them.

Indeed imo the sort of prejudice displayed by the "f* Badge" wearing type is no different from that which you display, when you see a Poppy and automatically condemn the wearer, without knowing a damned thing about him/her. 

[Evil Genius]

Why do they wear a flower that is used to make heroin? Quite appropriate.

Except that the Poppy which is adopted for Remembrance purposes is the common Corn Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas), not the Opium Poppy (Papaver Somniferum):
"Papaver rhoeas does not contain any opium. Its cousin Papaver somniferum is the opium poppy and is native to parts of Asia"

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.

http://www.botanical.com/site/column_rita/flanders.html

[Gnevin]

i find it a feck you badge rather than a mark of respect  to  someone who died in ww1 or ww2.

Have you ever had a conversation with a Poppy wearer to ask why they do so? I daresay that some wear it as a badge of identity, even as a "feck you badge".

However, imo that sort of prejudice is no different from that which you display, when you see a Poppy and automatically condemn the wearer, without knowing a damned thing about him/her.

What some would consider a "feck you badge"

[Evil Genius]

i find it a feck you badge rather than a mark of respect  to  someone who died in ww1 or ww2.

Have you ever had a conversation with a Poppy wearer to ask why they do so? I daresay that some wear it as a badge of identity, even as a "feck you badge".

However, imo that sort of prejudice is no different from that which you display, when you see a Poppy and automatically condemn the wearer, without knowing a damned thing about him/her.

What some would consider a "feck you badge"

Indeed and unless they ("some") had some knowledge of the motives of someone else displaying a GAA symbol, they would be being equally prejudicial.
Thank you for illustrating my point nicely.

[Evil Genius]

Of course, its a little different in the north, where they are often worn as said earlier, as a 'feck you' gesture, similar to putting an orange sash on.

"... as claimed earlier..." - There is an important difference.

[Evil Genius]

I don;t have a problem with remembrance Sunday and all that craic, But it isnt until 8th Nov, the poppies have been on show from last Thursday.

Poppies are sold to raise money for veterans charities etc. If they were only sold/worn on one day, only a fraction of the present amount would be raised.

It gets earlier by the year.

It doesn't. Perhaps you are confusing it with this?
http://www.thechristmasshop.co.uk/

[Evil Genius]

There are about 250 people where I work and it is mixed, I have never seen more than two or three people wearing poppies.

What? Only two or three "Feck You" badgewearers? Surely not...

[Evil Genius]

Used to be that the poppy was a reminder of the tragedy of war, the sacrafice and desire for peaceful resolution.

Now I think it is used to pay for the continued cost of war.

Then you think wrong.

The vast vast vast majority in the north of Ireland wear it to remind themselves and everyone else that they're british.
My mum would buy one, but would never be seen wearing it (I hope! lol)

Does that mean your mum is a (secret) Brit? 

[nifan]

Thanks.  Never knew that.  The poppy is not a common sight in Aus.

Maybe not a common site, but from a quick search it appears they sell millions each year.

http://www.defence.gov.au/Army/The_Red_Poppy.asp

[Evil Genius]

I notice the Dutch, French or Belgians don't bother with the poppy.  Does anyone know why that might be?

"The most recent and enduring tradition began in WWI when John McCrae wrote the poem that appears at the top of this article. McCrae was a Canadian who enlisted to help the allies in the war. He was made Medical Officer upon landing in Europe. During a lull in the battle with the nub of a pencil he scratched on a page from his dispatch book. The poem found its way into the pages of Punch magazine. By 1918 the poem was well known throughout the allied world. Moina Michael, an American woman, wrote these lines in reply.
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies

She then adopted the custom of wearing a red poppy in memory of the sacrifices of war and also as a symbol of keeping the faith.

A French women, Madam Guerin, visiting the United States, learned of the custom and took it one step further. When she returned to France she decided to hand make the red poppies and sell them to raise money for the benefit of the orphaned and destitute women and children in war torn areas of France. This tradition spread to Canada, The United States and Australia and is still followed today. The money collected from the sale of poppies goes to fund various veterans programs"
http://www.botanical.com/site/column_rita/flanders.html

I suspect the real reason why Poppy Wearing caught on so widely in the UK and endures to the present day, is because of the activities of the RBL i.e. elsewhere it is more just a symbol of remembrance, but in the UK it is also raises funds for veterans etc.

Late Edit: I've just seen nifan's post (above), where he points out that the Poppy is still quite widely sold in other countries, not just the UK.

[rossie mad]

Yes but they were first sold to raise funds for the orphans and destitute women affected by the war.

In my eyes these are victims of the war and not the veterans

[Evil Genius]

Yes but they were first sold to raise funds for the orphans and destitute women affected by the war.

In my eyes these are victims of the war and not the veterans

If you disapprove of veterans receiving donations, then don't buy a Poppy - it's hardly compulsory, after all.

And I daresay there are many other charities which cater for those whom you consider to be the only true victims of war.

[rossie mad]

Dont worry i dont plan on buying one 

They are several charities correct but i wouldnt class the selling of poppies a charity.

[Main Street]

In NI, wearing the poppy is for a most part a political statement.

But so what, it is no secret that Unionists aspire to state their Britishness on occasions and the poppy thing is an opportunity.