When living in one of the world’s premier commercial centers, it is easy to forget Nov. 11 means more than just a legion of online-discounts on Taobao. In addition to China’s Singles’ Day, a local twist on Valentine’s Day where e-commerce firms flood the Internet with promotions, Remembrance Day, the United Kingdom’s Memorial Day, also falls on Nov. 11. Remembrance Day is celebrated each year to recall the end of hostilities during World War I. This memorial day is recognized by commonwealth nations to commemorate the lives of those lost while serving in the line of duty. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11a.m., Nov. 11), the world stands silent for a moment, honoring the deceased the exact time the armistice officially became effective on that date in 1918. The two-minute moment of silence is practiced among commonwealth nations, and is normally followed by the sounding of “Reveille,” and finished by a recitation of the "Ode of Remembrance”. The rituals and traditions of Remembrance Day are practiced all over the world—Australia, Barbados, India, Canada, Kenya, Mauritius, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom— reminding us of the impact warfare has on a global scale. Each year, millions of people commemorate the lives of those lost in battle by wearing and promoting the image of the red poppy. In 2009, seventeen top-flight teams in England’s Premier League embroidered the British Legion emblem on their match-day shirts to mark Remembrance Sunday. The zeal of the poppy-image has become so popular that its annual gross profit is estimated at £30 million a year, with poppy vendors lining the streets prepared to distribute poppies in the name of remembrance and a pretty-penny. In contrast, the symbol itself has raised millions of dollars to support the needs of wounded and aging veterans. No tradition is without controversy. Many individuals have taken to wearing white poppies, arguing that the symbol of the red poppy promotes militarism rather than inhibiting it. The Pacifist Poppy Movement, suggested that the British Legion be asked to imprint 'No More War' in the center of the red poppies instead of the traditional ‘Poppy Appeal’ and in failing to change the words, urges pacifists to make their own ‘white’ flowers. According to the Pacifist Poppy Movement, “The white poppy was not intended as an insult to those who died in World War I - a war in which many of the white poppy supporters lost husbands, brothers, sons and lovers - but a challenge to the continuing drive to war.” Many opponents of Remembrance Day and the Poppy Movement argue that the public’s appetite for emotional symbolism is threatening to turn the act of remembrance into a kind of alternative national flag. The obvious argument against this is that conformity robs it of its real meaning. Such was the case in 2009 when three members of the Premier League — Manchester United, Liverpool and Bolton— chose to defy the Sportmail’s poppy campaign, and participated in the tournament without a poppy embroidered in their uniforms. A United spokesman reiterated: “We are very proud of the work we do with the Armed Forces and we do not feel a poppy on the shirt would add to our contribution.”

This article was written by Lilly Korinek. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Jo Starkey