Poppies.

Last weekend, my cousins from Denver came up for a visit. The two older cousins were both born in Edmonton, and are still Canadians at heart, even though they have lived in the States for a number of years. The younger sister (younger meaning 31) has lived in the US almost all her life - she considers herself to be an American. This past weekend was her first time back in Canada in almost 15 years. We local cousins enjoyed introducing a few new "Canadian" experiences to her.

To my surprise, one of the new experiences was wearing a poppy for the days leading up to Remembrance Day.

I don't think it ever occured to me that the US does not observe Armistace Day the same way the Commonwealth does... They have Veterans Day to be sure, but it was a bit strange to have to explain the symbolism of the poppy and why so many people wear them.

Poppies have long been associated with fallen soldiers; they grow abundantly in the fields of the Flanders region in France. As far back as the Napoleonic wars, soldiers have been laid to rest in Flanders, where poppies flourish but few other plants would grow (making them a weed, which, let's face it, is just a flower growing where it isn't wanted).

In the First World War, John McCrae was a Canadian soldier stationed near Ypres, not far from the Flanders region. He penned the most widely known war poem ever written, "In Flanders Fields", after losing a comrade.

Wearing a poppy is not a sign of supporting war or only certain contributors (much to the argument of those who support the "white poppy") but rather a sign of honoring all the sacrifices of the past. Saying to veterans and current troops (peacekeepers and soldiers alike) that we recognise and respect their courage in fighting for things they believe in, and fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.

The saying "lest we forget" is often associated with Remembrance Day and poppies. The word "lest" means "for fear that". Poppies are the way we alleviate the fear that some day we might forget about the sacrifices of those who died for the freedom of others. As long as we continue to observe November 11th, the day the armistace was signed, we will continue to honor the memories of those who have served our country and others, through times of peace and war.

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields."

- Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, 1915