Not throwing things away

Victory Square CenotaphThis picture of Victory Square in Vancouver was taken today, January 13, 2009, not on Remembrance Day, November 11, 2008. Haven’t those distressingly conformist wreaths been there long enough? Does the fact that they are completely artificial mean that we will have to look at them forevermore?

Now that we can have flowers that never die, perhaps someone should designate an official date for "putting away Remembrance Day wreaths" and put it on the list after "not wearing white shoes after Labour Day."

Everlasting wreaths

Comments (13)

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Communion wafers

I just saw this post, more than two months after the fact, but as the topic is important to me, I write in the remote hope that PattyO, or somebody, will still see my reply. If the question about the communion wafer is asked seriously, the serious answer is that it is to be consumed at once, by the relevant human, just as if it had not been dropped on the floor. For those of us who do take these matters seriously, this is just about as serious as it gets.

Richard Dunstan more than 13 years ago

wreaths on Victoria Square Cenotaph

Usually wreaths are removed at sunset, or there abouts, of Novemeber 11 by the Legion members.

As for the poppies that always fall out. Either remove the straight pin and use one of thoese small flags of Canada pin that are handed out on July 1st or easily obtainable. Or, you can pull the straight pin out a wee bit, put it through your lapel material, then pierce the edge of the poppy petal with the end of the pin then back into the lapel so the point doesn't stab anyone.
The poppy won't move till you remove it.

Poppies can be placed on the cenotaph or taken to the grave of a veteran. Walking in a cemetery is good exercise, a peaceful place to walk, and the spirit of the veteran will be grateful to be remembered.

Anonymous more than 13 years ago

Goodbye 2009 Poppy

Oddly, I've attended Remembrance Day Ceremonies pretty much since birth, but it wasn't until this year that I tweaked to the tradition of placing the poppy on the cenotaph. I've always had a mildly distressing lack of closure after these events in the past, but this year, placing my Lil' Red on the pile of others gave me a sense of significance, among all of those others that were able to do so, because of those for which we wear the pin.

Nate more than 13 years ago

When I first rode in my

When I first rode in my boyfriend's car, about 11 years ago, he already had several poppies pinned to the window visor of his beige 1990 Dodge Shadow. I thought it was funny, and then I got used to it, as I continued to ride in the car, and sometimes got to witness the annual placing of the poppy there. The poppies accumulated there "row on row" and were still there, barely faded, even after several years in Los Angeles and a trip across Canada. A couple of years ago we gave the car to a friend and though we often see the car from the outside, and notice the Acadian flag and In 'N Out Burger stickers still stuck on the back window, I haven't checked to see if he has kept the poppies on the visor, or perhaps added to the collection himself.

Robin Streb more than 13 years ago

Poppies

I don't know what you mean by old poppies. There are no such things.

I attend Remembrance Day services every year, and for the past 20 or so years the ceremonies have concluded with participants leaving their poppies at the local cenotaph, either pushed into wreaths laid there or deposited carefully on the cenotaph itself. For me, this tradition is as much a part of Remembrance Day as anything.

So, to answer your question, I don't have any old poppies. They've all been put to good use.

Paul more than 13 years ago

You can do better, worthy veterans, I know you can.

Huh. My husband and I happened to discuss The Poppy Problem today in the car on the way to work. I noticed the poppy he still had, affixed to his hat.

"Remembrance Day is over," I said. "You should get rid of that poppy."

He removed the poppy from his hat and then pinned it to the window visor.

"No," I said, "I don't want more stuff junking up the car."
"But I'm saving it," he said, "for next year."

"No you're not," I said. "It's a buck a year, and I think that's the point; the veterans need the cash."

In spite of this my husband left the poppy in the visor, where I'm sure I'll be staring at it until it turns pink from sun exposure sometime in mid-July of 2010.

ATTENTION, worthy veterans:
Why don't you create a decent poppy pin that doesn't fall out the minute you pin it on (like mine always does; my husband's obviously didn't but his was in his hat, not on his lapel), perhaps one with soft red petals, closer to the real flower? Then I swear I'd fork over $20 and wear the thing every year. Call it the "Women's Fashion Poppy." From time to time you could persuade a famous Canadian fashion designer to come up with a new version. Sell these for $100 each. Sell them online. Develop a fan page on Facebook. Start conversations about them on Twitter. I'm sure it would all be a grand success.

Don't get me wrong; poppy or no poppy, I'll always think of our war dead and the sacrifices they made, on Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day isn't the problem. It's those cheap plastic discs with vicious stick pins that get me down, every year. You can do better, worthy veterans, I know you can.

Mo Gosh more than 13 years ago

What to do with Poppies

In the Polish-Canadian community in which I was brought up poppies were kept to be distributed at the funeral service of a veteran that had passed on. They were taken to the graveside and placed on the casket - by the other veterans present - before it was lowered into the grave.

Stefan more than 13 years ago

What to do with poppies

Why not do what I do - go to your local cemetery and place your poppy on the grave of a Veteran.
As for the protocol of when to wear a poppy - They are not supposed to be worn prior to November 1st or after midnight on November 11th, though I've heard of a child who wanted to honour her grandfather by wearing hers for the entire year in 2005 which was the Year of the Veteran.

Nancy more than 13 years ago

What do you do with your poppy?

This year I learned the tradition with regard to wearing the poppy from the CBC Remembrance Day broadcast of the service in Ottawa. On that program it was stated that the poppy should be removed on the 11th hour of Remembrance Day. The announcer also made a point of showing people at the Remembrance service removing their poppies and laying them on the tomb of the unknown soldier. The announcer stated that at the end of day, the tomb would be a sea of red poppies. That seems like a fitting tribute to me. So this year, my husband and I went to his uncle's grave and placed our poppies on his grave. He was a war veteran. Standing at the gravesite, I asked my husband to tell me a story about his uncle. The story was a delightful memory from their days on the farm together and an opportunity for me to learn more about my husband's uncle. We want to try to make this one of our traditions each Remembrance Day. In so doing, we will honour all veteran's and remember our veteran.

Anonymous more than 13 years ago

The appropriate day to stash

The appropriate day to stash the Remembrance Day wreaths should be the day they begin hauling out the artificial Christmas trees.

Ross Merriam more than 14 years ago

I have an approach for all

I have an approach for all fundraisers like the “poppy people” and the little Sea Rangers (is that what they’re called?). I either store last year’s insignia and pull it out to fend off further entreaties, or, if I’ve missplaced that, make a quick purchase, and when approached pull it out like a talisman to ward off high-class beggars whose cause I do not fully support.

I’ve yet to stuff a Girl Guide cookie in my pocket, although that’s next. Those cookies will make you hypoglycemic overnight!

Thad McIlroy more than 14 years ago

Another dilemma that I

Another dilemma that I encountered some years back is what to do with a communion wafer that gets dropped on the floor? You’re not allowed to throw it in the garbage so my husband’s maiden aunt, who dropped the wafer, took it home where she left it out for the birds.

pattyo more than 14 years ago

That’s a good point. And

That’s a good point. And what do you do with old poppies? I always feel bad throwing them out. My poppy from this year is still on top of the fridge.

sarah more than 14 years ago