With Remembrance coming up, I was wondering how other people in the UK feel about wearing a poppy?

Do you wear one every year, wear a white poppy, or choose not to wear one at all? I know some people don’t wear one because they feel the symbol has become politicised or too tied to nationalism, while others see it purely as a mark of respect and remembrance.

What’s your take on it?


48 comments

  2. Buy one at some stage in November but don’t think too much more into it.

    I hate people who politicise it, regardless of their views expressed around it.

  3. No. It depresses me how jingoistic it has become. It was meant as a symbol of mourning. To mean “never again”. Now it’s just treated a a purity test or a vulgar display.

  4. Tend to drop a tenner in the collection tin at work and have a permanent poppy necklace somewhere plus a purple one made by an animal rescue. The cause is worthy – it supports veterans of all the wars through the British Legion and a lot of ex-soldiers need help. The actual wearing of the poppy can be performative esp when worn by politicans and celebrities on TV.

  5. Always. If everyone respects our war dead the poppy can never be fully co-opted by those who seek to distort its meaning.

  6. Our teachers would us into buying one and then bully us into wearing it, then if you lost it, bully you for that and bully you to buy another one.

    Not once did they teach the proper/supposed significance of wearing it and I had to look it up myself. I personally felt the overall attitude around me did not honour what the poppy supposedly is standing for, so I do not wear one as I do not want to show support for people around me who don’t even show the ideology of the poppy properly. When I used to have spare change before I became attached to my card, I would just donate and get one but not wear it. I stopped that as I got older.

  7. My grandfather fought in the war, arctic convoys, couldn’t give a toss what anyone thinks about me wearing it.

  9. I buy one, I don’t tend to wear it as I work in catering and can’t wear pins.

    But the faux nationalist outrage that happens every year about them makes it harder and harder (I know it shouldn’t).

  10. It’s funny that it’s the definition of virtue signalling, but worn by all the people that complain about “virtue signalling”

  11. If i walk past someone selling one on way to work I’ll buy one and wear it. The money helps, shows respect and the more people see it the more are likely to get one themselves which fuels the money to help people.

    I dont believe its been hijacked by nationalists like you say.

  14. Used to, but rarely do now. Part of that is definitely because right wingers tried to tie it to their idea of patriotism. My great grandfather served in Burma. I never met the man, but by all accounts, he was a good man. Still, there’s no one for me to remember. It just feels like a hollow tradition (especially when we look at how service men and women are treated once they leave service.

  15. I used to wear one but feel it’s become more about virtue signalling than actual remembrance. Last year I had a white one, not sure if I’ll have one at all this year. The more I feel pressured to wear one the less likely I’ll wear it.

  17. Yes, I do.

    However, it always infuriates me how the same people who are racist, abuse people with different coloured skin, different cultures, scream “send the immigrants back” even if they’re several generations in, will wear a poppy. As if the British soldiers won the war on their own. As if the soldiers didn’t fight against the ideals they believe in. It’s maddening and the real meaning has been diluted now.

    I still wear mine because I’m not a hypocrite.

  18. No. I’m a Veteran with injuries and PTSD and the RBL refused to help as I wouldn’t take anti depression meds. Plus every year it turns into poppygeddon. If you want to donate give to one of your local veterans charities or help for heroes. RBL is just big business now

  19. No, to me it’s a form of virtue signalling which I’m not into. My grandad fought in the war in the far east but didn’t even accept his medals, he didn’t want them.

    But I do donate money, I put some in the tin today at the post office.

  20. Yes, every year. Respect for those that have made the sacrifice in the past, as well as a few I have known personally

  21. Yes.

    I live a few miles from Catterick Garrison. I know an awful lot of people who are in the Army. I’m well aware of the sacrifices they make, and the sacrifices those before them made.

    I donate generously and wear a pin.

  22. I don’t. I hate the way it’s politicised – those who appropriate it and use it in support of the far right and those who bully those who choose not to wear one.

    The British Army, historically and more recently, have done some pretty awful things and I prefer to find a way to remember the working class kids who were press-ganged into becoming cannon fodder in France and Belgium a century ago while also recognising the atrocities in the north of Ireland.

  23. I get a poppy and wear it for a day or two around Remembrance Day. I also always go to a Remembrance Day ceremony and give to the relevant charity. I don’t see it as politicised at all, or at least not in any way I care about. It symbolises countless people who have sacrificed everything so that I don’t have to risk my own life.

  25. No, and the reason is it became a political statement and kind of obligatory, you get criticise if you don’t have one So, screw I don’t

  26. It being obligatory for politicians to wear from earlier and earlier dates makes me think of the West Wing quote…

    “And I want to warn everyone in the press and all the voters out there if you demand expressions of religious faith from politicians you are just begging to be lied to. They won’t all lie to you, but a lot of them will. It’ll be the easiest lie they had to tell to get your votes.”

  27. Yes I wear one, I get a new enamel one each year. I was in the service as were many people in my family, and the money goes to very deserving charities. I hope that if people don’t want to wear one they at least donate.

  29. I wear one when I have one to hand or am in a shop where I can buy one at the counter. It’s a shame the poppy fetishists have ruined it by their constant FB baiting posts shouting about folk refusing to wear it (I mean no one I know, I don’t think it’s common)

  30. Wear one every year, donate every year, and go to a remembrance service every year. Doesn’t bother me if someone wears one or not, it should be their choice, I don’t like how it’s been politicised. I don’t agree with people who wear another white poppy, or try to make the day about any other issue though.

  31. Nah, ever since poppies started being an obligation with an army of terrible people scouring television/ events for somebody who’s not wearing one so they can have a good moan I checked out

  32. When I was a kid in the 80s/90s it was clearly a symbol of “never again” and respect to those killed and injured in war. Now it seems to be all about “support our troops” – even if some of “our troops” are doing terrible things.

  33. I buy one every year, pin it on a jacket but if I don’t wear that particular jacket I don’t wear the poppy.

  34. Yes – my Grandfather was one of two from his original squadron who made it to VE Day – he suffered for the rest of his life due to his war service, if he had served today he would have been diagnosed with complex PTSD, amongst other things. I wear a poppy in his memory and in the memory of his comrades who never got to be someone’s grandpa.

  38. I haven’t worn one since 2003, when Blair stood at the cenotaph wearing one after invading Iraq. That’s the point at which it became purely for show and virtue signalling for me. The fact that the Sun of all papers then went full in on Help for Heroes and plastered poppies on every page after chomping at the bit for the war sealed the deal.

    I’ve no problem with most people wearing them, but I feel they now just represent a bit of soul cleansing for people who actually quite like a good war, really.

  39. I normally donate but then don’t bother wearing a poppy. When I leave the house I’m usually wearing a waterproof coat and I wont be poking holes in it.

  41. I don’t want anyone to think a war and killing your young people is the best outcome.

    Ive never bought a poppy and never will.

    Sadness for those who chose this path and so tragically lost their life.

  42. No, and my Grandad didn’t even collect his medals.

    I pay respect each and every day by being respectful, tolerant, and kind. To be a decent person.

  43. My great grandad never wore one and he was at Passchendaele and Ypres and lost a brother. He said if anyone wanted to remember what happened, they should read books about it because what was the point of a paper poppy. He donated to the British Legion but I don’t even do that, because they mismanage and sit on so much money these days.

  45. No. I hate what it’s become.

    Now if a newsreader or presenter isn’t wearing a poppy, people are stirring up trouble, “why aren’t they wearing their poppy, it’s disrespectful”. It’s become almost mandatory and I don’t agree with that.

  46. Performative bollocks.

    Some people wear them genuinely in the spirit of rememberance. I have absolutely no issue whatsoever with veterans and acting servicemen/women that wear the poppy, for example.
    However, I suspect that the majority of the UK public wear them because they feel a flippant social obligation to do so, or in a misplaced display of patriotic nationalism.

    I’ll observe the silence out of respect, but I’m not wearing a poppy. I cannot possibly begin to relate with the experiences of somebody who has been to war, and it is certainly not my place to remind other people to remember those that have died fighting.

  47. No, i made a conscious decision to stop about a decade ago. The performative herd mentality that has formed around it makes me deeply uncomfortable and I’ve realised it feels disingenuous because I can’t truly fathom the depth of mourning the tradition represents from the losses of WWI. I’m happy to donate to the RBL though, they do good work.

  48. I don’t believe in the poppy charity or help for heroes etc, I’m an ex soldier and have been to war for GB this is what I think, when you sign on for the forces it’s a contract both ways, the more the government relies on charities to look after veterans the more they can shirk their responsibilities

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