# Do Americans wear poppies for Rememberance Day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763 "2006-11-01T18:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/21 "2006-11-02T16:19:57Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] It may not have caught on as much in the U.S., but it was an American who came up with the idea in the first place, right at the end of WWI, as explained [here](http://www.nationalwarmemorial.govt.nz/unknown/poppy.html): [/QUOTE] To be fair - the original poem, “In Flanders Fields” which mentioned the poppies was written by LCol. John McCrae - a Canadian medical officer - I just wrote a backgrounder on him for my military Public Affairs course. [Veteran’s Affairs](http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/firstwar/mccrae) [Where he was when he wrote the poem](http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-poppies.html) The actual poem: \*In Flanders Fields 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.\* Remembrance Day in Canada is alway November 11, and the ceremonies start at 11:00 (11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/22 "2006-11-02T18:09:05Z")
I live in Maryland, and I have a poppy (from Canada). I will wear it on my lapel for the next few weeks - but I don’t really need to wear a coat. I’ll keep it in my car on my visor and pop it on when I get out, like I always did at home in Canada. I was raised by an Army father and then Air Force step-father, and in my mind it would be disrespectful to not honour the sacrifices made by servicemen. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/23 "2006-11-02T18:14:30Z")
Also, our baby was born 11/11/04 at 11 am. He was named for his servicemen grandfathers. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/24 "2006-11-02T20:40:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Throughout 1920-21, Guérin and her representatives approached veteran organisations’ in the United States, Britain, Canada, **Australia and New Zealand** and urged them to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. In the antipodes, poppies are worn on April 25th, Anzac day (commemorating the Gallipoli landings). _We will remember…_ Si ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/25 "2006-11-02T20:41:29Z")
I’ve never heard of such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/26 "2006-11-02T20:50:04Z")
I remember Veteran’s Day poppies from when I was a kid, in the 70’s, but I haven’t seen them in a long time. I asked my mother about it, and she said her father always bought the whole family crepe paper poppies made by the local wounded vets to wear for Veteran’s Day when she was in the 40’s, and everybody in her small Texas town wore them. They called Veteran’s Day “poppie day.” ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/27 "2006-11-02T20:51:19Z")
I ask my fellow Americans to do just one thing this November 11: Spell the holiday correctly **Veterans Day** It has no apostrophe. The day honors all veterans. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/28 "2006-11-02T21:33:44Z")
[QUOTE=BobT] I ask my fellow Americans to do just one thing this November 11: Spell the holiday correctly **Veterans Day** It has no apostrophe. The day honors all veterans. [/QUOTE] If it honours all veterans, then shouldn’t it be Veterans’ Day? (i.e. the plural possessive). ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/29 "2006-11-02T21:39:46Z")
The veterans don’t own the day. The day is about veterans. Veterans is being used as an adjective. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/30 "2006-11-02T21:43:39Z")
[U.S. Code citation to the holiday](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode05/usc_sec_05_00006103----000-.html) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/31 "2006-11-02T21:46:43Z")
During my last three years in New York, I always wore a poppy (that I had from Canada) from Nov 1-11. Nobody I met ever knew why I was wearing it, and most people were barely aware that November 11th was Veterans Day. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/32 "2006-11-02T22:07:01Z")
[QUOTE=BobT] The veterans don’t own the day. The day is about veterans. Veterans is being used as an adjective. [/QUOTE] Darn. Hate to admit it, but you’re right, even down to the explanation: > [@](#): > > Veterans Day Frequently Asked Questions > > Q. Which is the correct spelling of Veterans Day? > > a. “Veterans Day” > b. “Veteran’s Day” > c. “Veterans’ Day” > > A. Veterans Day (choice a, above). > Veterans Day does not include an apostrophe but does include an “s” at the end of “veterans” because it is not a day that “belongs” to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans. [United States Department of Veterans Affairs](http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetday_faq.asp) (It’s “Mother’s Day,” though, so nyah! 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/33 "2006-11-02T22:10:57Z")
[QUOTE=Barbarian] During my last three years in New York, I always wore a poppy (that I had from Canada) from Nov 1-11. Nobody I met ever knew why I was wearing it, and most people were barely aware that November 11th was Veterans Day. [/QUOTE] We flew back from Jamaica on 11/11 last year. I encountered a few Canadians with poppies on that day, hangin’ out at the beach with their poppies on. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763/34 "2006-11-02T22:16:20Z")
[QUOTE=BobT] I ask my fellow Americans to do just one thing this November 11: Spell the holiday correctly **Veterans Day** It has no apostrophe. The day honors all veterans. [/QUOTE] But December 25 is still Christma’s. Right? The way the apostrophe scourge is going, it just may happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-wear-poppies-for-rememberance-day/378763.md?page=1)