Remembrance day

Cultural lesson 2: Remembrance Day, November 11th

Do yourself a favour and spare three minutes to read this and save yourself the embarrassment of uttering any of the ignorant comments below. 

Remembrance Day is a day we ... remember, remember the fifth of November.
Oh, look. She's pinned a red poppy on her sweater - must be her favourite flower or something, right? Uhm, right..?  
Hey, the guy next to her has got another poppy on his jacket. What a coincidence! 
Is wearing a poppy a fashion statement? Why does everyone have one? I don't get it.
They've got National and International Days about everything now. Take 'Happy Moustache Day' for example. So I guess Poppy Day must be just another meaningless celebration - a florist came up with the idea, no doubt.
Miss, Miss! I spotted a spelling mistake in the book, Miss! At the top of page 11, it reads 'Remembrance Day: Lest we Forget'. Shouldn't it be "let's" instead of "lest"? 

No. I'm sorry to be the one to burst your bubble, but no, Remembrance Day is not about V for Vendetta, a red poppy pin is not a mere fashion accessory, Poppy Day has nothing to do with florists' wish to make their business more lucrative, and finally, "lest" is not a spelling mistake, for God's sake. 

Remembrance Day in the UK is observed on the 11th of November and it is the day when people honour the memory of those who died in the line of duty in World War I. In 1918, at 11 am on 11th November, all the hostilities and atrocities of the First World War came to an end as an armistice had been signed by the allies and representatives of Germany earlier that morning. This is why every year at 11 am on Remembrance Day, the UK joins together to commemorate the war dead by holding a two-minute silence. For the record, the World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28th June 1919. 

People pin poppies on their clothes, usually their coats. Do you know why? It's because after the fiercest battle of World War I had taken place in Flanders, Belgium, no plants survived other than poppies. Inevitably, poppies became the symbol of Remembrance Day which is also informally known as Poppy Day. Throughout the country, it's customary for people, including the Queen, to lay poppy wreaths at war memorials. 

Oh, and another thing: "lest we forget" means "for fear that we forget / to avoid the risk of forgetting / let's not forget". 

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​A POEM, BY PAUL HUNTER (2014)

I am not a badge of honour,
I am not a racist smear,
I am not a fashion statement,
To be worn but once a year,
I am not glorification
Of conflict or of war.
I am not a paper ornament
A token,
I am more.

I am a loving memory,
Of a father or a son,
A permanent reminder
Of each and every one.

I'm paper or enamel
I'm old or shining new,
I'm a way of saying thank you,
To every one of you.

I am a simple poppy
A Reminder to you all,
That courage faith and honour,
Will stand where heroes fall.

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What else do you know about Remembrance Day? Do some research on the Net and amaze us. 
Alternatively, tell us about a similar national celebration of your country. 

Comment down below.