Poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Canada and the UK History Essay

The Poppy as a symbol of Remembrance in Canada and the UK
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A day of remembrance, a noble tribute to the generations of veterans that served the nations in the time of war. Their courage and sacrifice ensured that we can enjoy peace and freedom, that is why we must remember. Every year on November 11, Canadians and Britons take two minutes of silence in remembrance of the women and men that served or actively sieving in times of war conflict and peace. The use of the poppy flower was born after WW1 to symbolize the carnage the war had left behind and it is still being used to date. This essay seeks to analyze the significance of the poppy to the day of rememberance in Canada and the UK.
War affects peoples and gets to touch the lives of generations after it. Fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters were killed in action and countless children orphaned. Those who survived were physically wounded or mentally scarred from the one on one encounter with death. Stories of their heroism spoke volume to generations after but nowadays, they don’t seem to be that impactful. This may be because the closest we can encounter and re-live war is through the screens and it is treated more like a phenomenon and a form of entertainment. CITATION Vet05 \l 1033 (Veterans affair Canada, 2005) That is why a day of rememberance because the further people are detached from the actual effects of war, the more people forget about the sacrifices of veterans.[CITATION Vet05 \l 1033 (Veterans affair Canada, 2005) Pg 4]
But why use the poppy as the symbol of remembrance? Many flowers have been associated with war such as red roses, yellow charlock, white chamomile, and bright blue cornflower (France’s symbol of remembrance) However, the poppy was not as popular in the UK even with the fact that it thrived in the battlefield landscape like the others. CITATION Ile18 \l 1033 (Iles, 2018) The flower has an annual life span and has for the years been given various symbolic meanings like that of wealth, magical and healing properties. The symbolism to war and loss was more influenced by poetical literature through the work of Col. John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer. His poem, In Flanders Fields, by caught the public’s attention and his description of a poppy gave it a sense of pride while also having an underlying theme of grief.[CITATION Ile18 \l 1033 (Iles, 2018) Pg 202-203]
Each year, the governments promote the ‘poppy campaign’ and streets are littered with poppy sellers. The week before November 11, the mood is set and streets are covered in poppy. However, the bone of contentions always stems from the freedom to engage in the commemoration. In both countries, there is no legal guideline that mandates or prohibits the wearing of the poppy. However, the emph...