Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Yesterday, Nov 11th. Poppy Day?




Find Out Why People Wear Poppies In November...

You might have noticed that in November each year many people wear bright red paper poppies.
What are the poppies for?
And why November? Read on to find out…
Why are these poppies so special?


The First World War finally ended after four long and bloody years of fighting, on November 11 1918. The guns stopped on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Millions of people were killed in the war and millions more were injured. In the years since 1918, even more people have died in wars around the world including, of course, World War Two.

November 11 was chosen back in 1919 as the special day each year when we would all think about and remember those who had died. To this day, almost 100 years later, at 11am on November 11 many people across Britain stay silent for two minutes to think about those who died.



The picture shows the two minute silence taking place high up on the London Eye.

All pictures:Courtesy of The Royal British Legion.

At first, November 11 was known as Armistice Day because 'armistice' is the word used for an agreement between enemies to stop fighting. These days it is more usually called Remembrance Day or Poppy Day.

So, we know why November 11 is special, but why poppies? The story begins back in 1915, during World War One…

These poppies are growing wild at Gallipoli, scene of an awful battle in 1915.


Keep on reading: http://www.show.me.uk/site/news/STO521.html

1 comment:

  1. first time I saw people wearing these red flowers was on a Commercial Center in my town but in these moment I didn't worry about it and I didn't think so much in the flowers. But this same year I were to Ireland and in Dublin in Sant Patrick Cathedral I saw the same poppies on the tombs of somebody that where on the Cathedal. Then I remembered the flowers that was wearing people in my town. I asked to a guide why there were a lot of red flowers and was then when I learn that there are to remember people who died on the War

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