why do you wear a poppy?

Op could learn more about History of the UK if she chooses to live here. I find she is goading.
My Grandfather lied about his age in the First World War and fought for his country at 15. I am proud to wear the poppy.

To remember people who have lost their lives in conflicts, and to show respect to surviving veterans. We also attend a remembrance day parade in our town.

Yes, this. ^ Why would it be a 'class' thing? Why even say that?

As many posters have said, I wear it (and hang a 'we shall remember them' flag in my front window) out of respect for the fallen, and the dead, and that includes 2 great uncles of mine, and some of their friends. My grandfather fought in the second world war, and was shot and badly injured but survived thank God .. He lost some friends too. They all lost people: friends, cousins, siblings, uncles... My great grandather fought in the first world war and died, and so did his brother.

I have known numerous people - men and women - who fought in The Falklands War, and Desert Storm. (1980s and 1990s.) Some died, some came home. Wearing the poppy is a sign of respect to the injured, the fallen, the war dead, (and the military in general for their service.) And yes, because they died for our freedom! I have a purple one too, for the animals who went to war too.

I am gobsmacked that you are even asking this @oiolehnvn and couldn't have just googled it. I'm also surprised at you using the word 'naice.'

It's also ridiculous to say it's performative to wear a poppy, as @HostaCentral said, and is an insult to our military, and the war dead. Disgusting comment.

As for the comment that all right wing people wear them? ( @Giddykiddy ) Do me a favour. You see 1000s of people wearing them. How the hell do you know they're all right wing? What a ludicrous comment! Also, so what if they're right wing? What's wrong with being right wing?

I admittedly don’t always remember to buy a poppy these days, but we have a 2 minute silence at church every year on Remembrance Sunday. For me, it’s particularly about remembering family members who died. My paternal relatives are Czech; my GF was in the Czech resistance and was shot by the Gestapo just before the end of the war and a great uncle died in Maunthausen concentration camp. (We’re close to his family, who now live in Canada.)

I suspect that a lot of the people who commemorate Remembrance Day have strong personal reasons for doing so.

I'm probably the oldest person on this thread. I grew up surrounded by bomb ruins, as a child I didn't understand what they were, they were just places to play. I don't care too much about poppies, but during the two minutes silence on rememberence day I concentrate my thoughts on the thousands of terrified, young men who had no choice but to die for their country.

People in the forces now do have a choice, they didn't. It's heartbreaking.

We must remember them, with or without a poppy.

It's a separate fund in Scotland - the Earl Haig fund (now Poppy Scotland, I think). The money here goes to veterans and their dependants.

The British Legion helps to collect the money here but does not benefit from it.

To remember Billy, the Grandad that I never met, who died age 25 in Burma and also Albert and John, my husbands grandfather's who died fighting in Ypres and in the DDay landings.
Also Jack, my lovely step grandad who some how survived fighting in Normandy but lived with shell shock and barely spoke a word to anyone, ever again.
Not to mention all their commrades who gave their lives so that we may have our freedom.
May we never forget.

To remember all those that have lost their lives serving , to thank all the ones that are still serving and to support the ones who need help when they no longer serve.

The website does tell you how people engage with it today. This is from the website:

Remembrance in the UK today is very different than it was 100 years ago. People take part whatever their political or religious beliefs and the poppy remains a humble, poignant symbol of Remembrance and hope

That’s it. Whatever your political or religious beliefs, if you wear it it’s about remembrance and hope.

I don’t tend to now, as rarely out over remembrance weekend and no longer involved in church, scouts, guides etc - but IMO it has always been about remembering all the men and women who have fought and died in wars representing their country. That used to be UK specific, but as I became more aware of the hideousness of war, of the utter failure of governments and diplomats the world over to agree terms around the table and prevent actual combat, it came to symbolise every lost and injured soul impacted by war anywhere in the world.

I feel it is intrinsically ant-war as it’s about reminding us of the loss and destruction, of the sacrifices made, the human cost. In no way do I feel it is right-wing and pro-war, as I see it being discussed in SM.

OK - I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh

I am very much of a peace building mindset, and the Poppy / Remembrance Sunday is a reminder of the terrible price that war inflicts on individuals and families.

I also like that the proceeds from poppy sales go to the Royal British Legion.

The charity do good work with services and ex services personnel who need support. Such as my grandmother, who they helped with claiming a pension that she did not realise she was entitled to. As a vulnerable elderly person, who had given so much during WW2, the extra money made a world of difference to her quality of life in her final years.

I don’t think it’s a class thing as mentioned in one of your following posts, I work in quite a ‘posh’ area and live in a nearby ex council estate and most people wear them.
I recently explained why we wear them to our youngest child and told him what my parents told me, that we wear them as a sign of remembrance for people lost in all wars in the fight for freedom against people who have tried to rule by force and terror. The poppy was picked because in the carnage of the battles fields when there was so much destruction somehow the wild poppy flower still grew.
The money raised goes to help veterans, we don’t wear poppies because we are celebrating war, but as sign that we remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of many who would be unable to defend themselves.
My work brings me in to contact with the last few veterans from ww2, their stories are harrowing and should be remembered.

As a mark of respect and to honour the dead who went to war and sacrificed their lives to protect us (the ones who would be turning in their graves if they could see the state of the country now!)

Oh is it one country that's now two? As you were...

I also dislike the way WW2 is used by some, and I hate any politicisation of it. I wear a poppy to remember all those who died in conflict, or who came home and were never the same, or who came home and did their best to improve the country. I include my dad in that, who was in the RAF in WW2, came home, became a teacher and volunteered consistently for the Royal British Legion for the rest of his life, helping to raise money and also doing actual practical community work with ex (and current) servicemen and their families, and the families of deceased servicemen. I grew up seeing him march on Remembrance Sunday and often reading the lines a PP quoted, or The Kohima Epitaph, in the service. It means a lot to me and reminds me of him as he died some years ago.
I dislike the way everyone on tv or in public life is forced to wear one though. Not in the spirit of the thing at all.

Totally missing point of thread but how can you be from two countries?

My great-grandfather was a peasant farmer. My FIL's brother was a working-class 18 yr old from Aberdeen. He perished at Ypres and has no known grave. His best friend was a working-class lad from the north of England who somehow joined the Gordon Highlanders. He survived for a few weeks but died of his wounds.

My great-uncle who was gassed in WW1 was a coalminer. Other family members who were injured were peasant farmers or miners.

My FIL was injured in WW1. He received the Military Medal for saving the lives of several man who were wounded and trapped in a sap. He was a farm labourer before he joined up. The event for which he won his medal took place while he was a stretcher bearer.

Because my husband's uncle drowned in HMS Hood fighting for me to be able to write this and his father never recovered mentally from losing his brother and himself being on the convoy ships delivering food as sitting ducks waiting to be torpedoed.

That's not really how your OP came across.
Your OP was more - war is bad, armies fight wars, poppies celebrate armies so [faux naivety] why would anyone wear a poppy.

I wear a poppy in remembrance of my uncle and all those like him. He volunteered for service before he was called up. He was killed in North Africa at the age of 22. The telegram informing my grandparents that he had been killed arrived with my mother's 10th birthday cards. Despite the age difference mum and he were very close and she missed him until the day she died. She would often talk about him and wonder what our family would have looked like had he survived,married and had a family. I still have the letters he wrote to her. If not for him and other brave men who knows what our lives would be like now had Hitler won.

This is my view and I realise other people have other opinions to which they are fully entitled. I do not believe people should be made to feel uncomfortable because they don't want to wear a poppy.

I wear a poppy as a visible reminder of the sacrifice others have made, and continue to make, so I can live as I choose. It’s important to me that my kids understand the sacrifices made in both world wars, on all sides, and that war is far from glorious. I think given the current political climate it’s important to recognise lives lost and destroyed in wars.

As a mark of respect to those who died in battle. And for my Grandfather fought in the First World War. It’s not about glorifying or celebrating war it’s about our losses and mourning them.
HTH

I dont buy or wear a poppy because I dont go anwhere but I do donate to the RBL each year. My father was a partially sighted veteran and the British Legion helped him to fight for a war pension. They really helped my parents when he became too blind to work. They also arranged a guide dog for him. Every year they arranged for him to go down to London and he marched past the cenotaph with other veterans. I always watch the service in memory of those who have died in war protecting this country.

I did not always get on with my father as a child but I respect the service he gave duing the war. He was in the navy and was torpedoed twice.