Episode 26 - The Poppy

There is a ritual that I, like many other people in Canada, participate in every year in November. When I see a soldier or cadet or a veteran dressed in a military uniform holding a box of poppies, I put some money into the box and take a poppy to pin on my coat. The money that I put in the box is a donation to help veterans and their families. Veterans are people who used to be soldiers. And every year on November the 11th it is Remembrance Day in Canada. On that day, people gather together and hold ceremonies to remember soldiers who died fighting in wars for Canada. It is a time to think about how terrible war is and to value peace. On November the 11th at 11 o'clock in 1911 World War I officially ended. So at 11 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month, we stand together for 2 minutes of silence to show our respect. John McCrae, a Canadian surgeon in World War I, wrote a famous poem called 'In Flanders Fields'. He wrote about how terrible it was that young men died and were buried in the fields where the poppies grew. The poppy is now a symbol of Remembrance day. The red is for the blood that was spilled and the black centre symbolizes the earth where the soldiers were buried. We need to remember and tell our children about war so we can try to make the world a more peaceful place.

To hear the famous poem, In Flanders Fields, being read by veterans go to:
http://www.thestar.com/article/534018