why do you wear a poppy?

So not a 'class' thing. Anyway you interpret that statement it is quite reductive!
I see people from all walks in life wearing them.

FFS no it is not a class thing. People who are working class wear poppies. Believe it or not they had family members that fought and died or were injured in WW1 and WW2.

I wear a poppy to honour real sacrifice. People who gave everything so we could live freely. It’s heartbreaking to see that mocked. Sneering at remembrance isn’t progressive, it’s spoiled. And I’m tired of the constant rewriting of British history. Pride isn’t shameful. Forgetting is.

I am quite anti military but I still buy poppies because the people who went to war didn’t have any choice.

I think the first poster nailed it. The OP is trying to be "goady" and we've all wasted our time. Perhaps she'd like to read my comment about my father's experiences at Bergen-Belsen.

Poppies are worn to remember the fallen, and their great sacrifice so we might have freedom. Never forget.

I wear mine because my Dad is a Royal Navy veteran who saw conflict in the Falklands and the Gulf. I will never forget the sacrifices he made to defend others’ freedom and the ultimate sacrifice made by 14 of his shipmates who weren’t lucky enough to come home.

We must always remember them.

Look up the Earl Haig fund.

I wear a poppy to remember the sacrifice of those who died and were hurt in war. Ironically I feel I'm wearing a poppy for those who died so you could choose not to.
For me it is not a tacit agreement for all the wrong doings that have been committed by soldiers but a symbol for remembrance.

Part of it comes down to it being "the done thing" in certain social circles. So people just do it to fit in without thinking about it too much.

I don’t wear one because I don’t like that it didn’t feel like a choice when I was young. You had to bring your money into school and buy your poppy to wear, without any choice or enough understanding.
I can reflect and remember without buying a poppy.

Both of my grandfathers had brothers who died in the First World War. One of them was underage, having lied about his age to join up. I wear one to remember them.

As an aside, I do find it strange that I’m only in my 30s (admittedly not for much longer) and the First World War is still only two generations ago for me. It almost seems like ancient history then I think no, that was grandad’s brother.

To remember the loss and huge efforts made by those in the past, now and the future, so you can live in a country that is as ours is. Those that think it is about war miss the point, it is to never forget what war is, what it does and how important it is to fight for that you value and how scarred our country was from war.

I wear one because my father was in WW2. He was a medic and was one of the first British doctors to arrive at Bergen-Belsen. What he saw there undoubtedly changed him and shortened his life. So I wear one to remember and honour all those that, like my father, fought for our freedom. My money also goes to helping veterans today. I'm not sure of the purpose of white poppies. Where does the money go if you purchase one?

I wear a red and a purple poppy, men and animals both made horrific sacrifices though no choice of their own. Plus it is also about supprting our veterans and currently serving men and women.
We seem to have to apologise for wearing poppies where as America celebrates its veterans and those serving and quite rightly so.
But then Britain offers apologies for a lot of things where other countries don't give a shit about. that's another thread though so not derailing.
As you were peeps.
Poppies are not celebrating any thing, never have and never will, but the fallen, injured and seriving must be remembered always.

I'm in my 50s, born to older parents. My dad was in the RAF during WWII. He survived and lived until he was 90. He would never talk of the horror he witnessed.
I will always wear a poppy to remember those lost in wars.
Although when I look around at people in their 30s and under it seems poppy wearers are dwindling.

I wear a poppy as a British Army veteran - to remember my lost comrades and all those others that died in all wars, conflicts and other troubles. I also count civvies in this too.

Most of my family were wiped out in the World Wars, they were miners, farmers, dockworkers. So many young men killed, and families destroyed. My maternal greatgrandmother lost all her sons, and had a breakdown from which she never recovered. My dad, just a school boy, lost all his older male cousins.

I wear a poppy to remember that loss, the sacrifice of those young men and women whether on the side of the victors or the defeated, it is a tragedy to be remembered. Lest we forget.

For my brother who died in Iraq in 2002.

I do not wear a poppy.

But if I were to go somewhere that is poppy appropriate (eg a church service or similar) if wear one out of respect for the other attendees.

It’s to remember all the lives lost in the 2x WW and how horrible that was. Lest we forget it and turn to war again. I have always seen it as a celebration of peace symbol.

Nothing to add to this really.

Respect and remembrance and to donate to veterans