Why are Top/5th Gear Presenters wearing a flower?

[ae86_16v]

[SilviaEvo]

hmmmm good question...

They are poppies a symbol of rememberance. The day(Armistice Day 11th of Nov) was originally established to remember those killed and those who gave so much for our freedom in the First World War. The reason they are poppies is the poem In Flanders' Fields by John McCrae. Each year people donate to the appeal to help ex service men and their family, wearing a poppy to show thier respect/ support for all the help the Royal British Legion provides. Although now there are less and less survivors of the First and Second World Wars the appeal is now beginning to focus on helping those who have suffered as a result of more recent conflicts. We still have 2 minutes silence at 11am on the 11th off november aswell as rememberance sunday held on the nearest sunday to the 11th

[ae86_16v]

I see, we had Veteran's Day on the 11th. Thank you for the explanation AL.

Originally Posted by ae86_16v I see, we had Veteran's Day on the 11th. Thank you for the explanation AL.

Thats ok, hopefully i didn't miss anything (nearly 3am) but I pretty much know it off by heart as my grandparents were always quite heavily involved in the British Legion and the Poppy appeals until very recently.

[ae86_16v]

Yeah here in America it is a funny story. So if I recall correctly, we used to have an Armistice Day too. It was on the 11th day of the 11th month, so what happen was that the Unions moved the Holiday to the day after Thanksgivings, which was a Friday. The Unions' reason was so that American workers could have Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) off and then have the following Friday off too, making it a 4 day weekend.

Sneaker those Union representatives. Anyways, so that is why for most busineses in America have a 4 day weekend. Along the way, someone say "Hey, we aren't honoring our veterans that served in our wars." So we created a new holiday: Veteran's Day. Unfortunately Veteran's Day is not a big holiday in the US anymore. Only the Federal government really honors it. But we still have festivities such as a Veterans Parade, etc.

[ARMAN]

Thanx for expanation AL Was curious too. They look like they just came from funeral btw 8)

[AlienDB7]

I noticed the poppies' design is different in UK than in Canada.

I heard something on TV the other day about the reason why americans don't wear poppies cause Veteran's Day is about remember the living instead of remembering the dead like the rememberance day.

[Fleischmann]

Hey, is red nose day still going on in the UK ?? ANd what was all that about?? I was too young to be interested when I lived in the UK.

[ae86_16v]

Originally Posted by AlienDB7 I noticed the poppies' design is different in UK than in Canada. I heard something on TV the other day about the reason why americans don't wear poppies cause Veteran's Day is about remember the living instead of remembering the dead like the rememberance day.

Yeah we have Memorial Day for that. But the biggest thing was that we replaced Armistice Day w/ Veteran's Day.

[crayzayjay]

Originally Posted by Fleischmann Hey, is red nose day still going on in the UK ?? ANd what was all that about?? I was too young to be interested when I lived in the UK.

Red Nose day was established by Comic Relief. Comic Relief is a charity organisation which was founded in the United Kingdom in 1985 in response to famine in Ethiopia. It now raises money for Africa and disadvantaged people in the UK.

[Zonda11]

Originally Posted by AlienDB7 I noticed the poppies' design is different in UK than in Canada. I heard something on TV the other day about the reason why americans don't wear poppies cause Veteran's Day is about remember the living instead of remembering the dead like the rememberance day.

In Canada we now have a red poppy with a black center - as opposed to the red poppy, green center of old. What does the UK poppy look like?

[dutchmasterflex]

I was wondering that myself.. thanks for the clarification Al!

[RC45]

Originally Posted by Zonda11 Originally Posted by AlienDB7 I noticed the poppies' design is different in UK than in Canada. I heard something on TV the other day about the reason why americans don't wear poppies cause Veteran's Day is about remember the living instead of remembering the dead like the rememberance day. In Canada we now have a red poppy with a black center - as opposed to the red poppy, green center of old. What does the UK poppy look like?

Some folks prefer to wear their Poppy's like this

[Mers]

Originally Posted by AL123 They are poppies a symbol of rememberance. The day(Armistice Day 11th of Nov) was originally established to remember those killed and those who gave so much for our freedom in the First World War. The reason they are poppies is the poem In Flanders' Fields by John McCrae. Each year people donate to the appeal to help ex service men and their family, wearing a poppy to show thier respect/ support for all the help the Royal British Legion provides. Although now there are less and less survivors of the First and Second World Wars the appeal is now beginning to focus on helping those who have suffered as a result of more recent conflicts. We still have 2 minutes silence at 11am on the 11th off november aswell as rememberance sunday held on the nearest sunday to the 11th

Sorry, just to add to that:

The armistice day is 11 of november because it was the day of WW1 ceasefire...So that all troops of all countries knew when to stop fighting, they decided to stop fighting at 11 o clock, on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918....ever since then, the day is used to remember the dead, not only in WW1, but all wars...