Remembrance Day, held on November 11 each year, will be marked with many memorials around the country, as well as a two-minute silence.
On Remembrance Sunday, which this year falls on 10 November, members of the Royal Family, armed forces, and politicians will head to the Cenotaph to pay their respects to those fallen in war.
Remembrance Day commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the armistice in 1918, between the Allies and Germany, marking the end of the First World War.
The Royal British Legion has already kicked off this year’s Poppy Appeal, meaning many people have purchased poppies in support of the memorial.
Red poppies remain the Royal British Legion’s most iconic symbol, yet recent years have seen a surge in popularity of white and purple varieties.
White poppies in particular are seen by some as insulting. But why? Here’s everything you need to know:
Why do we have red poppies?
The incidents come ahead of Remembrance Sunday (Hannah McKay/PA)
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The Poppy Appeal was first launched in 1921 to help remember those who fought in the war.
The poppy was chosen because the flowers grew in the fields of northern France and Belgium, where some of World War I’s bloodiest battles took place.
The Royal British Legion, which started the Poppy Appeal, gives the money raised to the servicemen and women who are still alive and whose lives have been changed by war.
Poppies are distributed across the UK, including at supermarkets, train stations, shops, high streets and online.
However, some people choose not to wear them because they believe it has become a political tool to justify war.
He added: “I respect our armed forces, the sacrifice and the loss, and like others, I remember them on Remembrance Sunday. That’s the way it is. I won’t be wearing a black tie for anyone’s death – I don’t for my own relatives, so why on earth would I for anyone else’s?”
What do white poppies mean?
White poppies symbolise remembrance for all victims of war, as well as a commitment to peace, and challenge the glamorisation of conflict, according to the Peace Pledge Union (PPU), which distributes them.
They were first introduced by the Co-operative Women’s Guild in 1933 to symbolise a message of “no more war” after WWI.
White poppies are intended to remember all people killed in war, seeking to bring an end to “the exclusion of civilians from mainstream Remembrance events”.
About 100,000 white poppies have been sold every year since 2014, according to the PPU, and profits go “towards promoting peaceful alternatives to war, campaigning against militarism, and our peace education work”.
White poppies are also worn in New Zealand for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
Why are white poppies controversial?
Some critics claim white poppies disrupt the underlying message of red poppies and, by association, Armistice Day.
In 2018, Conservative MP Johnny Mercer called them “attention-seeking rubbish” and people should “ignore” those who wear them.
In an impassioned tweet, he wrote: “If you don’t want to wear a poppy don’t bother, they fought and died so you could choose. But don’t deliberately try and hijack its symbolism for your own ends.”
The Royal British Legion says it “defends the right to wear different poppies” but that it will not sell other colours, to avoid confusion.
It said that the red poppy “is a symbol of peace inclusive of all regardless of race, belief, origin, or sexual/gender identity.
“Remembrance is neutral on both causes and consequences of individual conflicts and is above partisan and political interpretation.”
What is the meaning of purple poppies?
The less common purple poppies remember animals killed in war.
It’s estimated that eight million horses and donkeys died in World War I.
Animal Aid founder Andy Smith said: “As an animal charity, we strongly believe that animals lost whilst serving should be remembered.
“We want to acknowledge the sacrifices that they have made, and continue to make, and ensure they are not forgotten.”
Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler said of the decision: “Our aim was to make it clear that animals used in warfare are indeed victims, not heroes.
“They do not give their lives; their lives are taken from them. But too often the narrative promoted by the media has been one of animals as the valiant servants of people in violent conflict. This is precisely the opposite message to that which we intended.”
What does the black poppy mean?
Black poppies commemorate the contributions of Black, African, and Caribbean communities to the war effort, as service people and civilians.
The charitable organisation was launched in 2010, and it aims to highlight “largely untold historical legacies” from the 16th century onwards.
There’s often debate about which side to wear a poppy. Many chose to wear their poppy close to their heart on their left side.
However, the Royal British Legion added that there is no correct side to wear the poppy.
“Unless you’re currently serving, there is no ‘correct’ way,” says their website.
When to stop wearing a poppy
There are a lot of conflicting views on how long to wear your poppy.
Many people choose to stop wearing a Poppy after Armistice Day on November 11, as it is often laid at the base of the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Day Ceremony.
You can wear a poppy anytime during the year as a sign of respect to those who lost their lives in war, according to the Royal British Legion.
