How to Wear a Remembrance Day Poppy (UK)

Last Updated: March 11, 2024

Remembering those who gave their lives in wars is an important part of British Culture. A day is set aside every year to remember the fallen, Remembrance Sunday, and on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, two minutes silence is observed throughout the country. In addition to these ceremonies, paper and plastic Poppies are sold to raise money for servicemen and associated charities and for people to wear to show that they remember the fallen. Start at step one so you'll know how to wear your poppy with pride.

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Schools, large offices, local government offices, Salvation Army shops and public service buildings will all have poppies for sale. There are often volunteers selling poppies in supermarkets, at public gatherings and in the street from late October onwards. Poppies don't have a set price; however. Pay what you can afford and feel is respectful.
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Wear your poppy on a sweater or any other woolen or loosely woven fabric top by just poking the plastic stem through the fabric. Wear it on the left side of your chest if you are a civil servant, or right side if you are either a serving or past member of the armed forces. Some people believe that women traditionally also pin their poppies on the right side of their chest; however, it can be frowned upon to do this.
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(November is pretty chilly in the UK, chances are you'll want it on your coat!)
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ALL public places in the UK should allow you to wear your poppy unless it contravenes health and safety guide lines. If anyone asks you take off your poppy, you have every right to ask why. If they cannot give a valid reason, you may wish to leave the premises.
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Cubs, scouts, girl guides, police officers, military cadets, service men, police officers, firefighters etc will have guide lines to follow about correctly adding a remembrance poppy to their uniform. Make sure you stick to the guidelines.
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Many retailers sell remembrance poppy brooches, pins, tie bars, cuff links etc that you can pay a set price for, some of which will go to charity, then you can wear it every year.
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Not all the vendors have these but if you see one and you have an occasion to wear it such as a remembrance Sunday church service, buy one and wear it as you would a corsage.
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Position the leaf at 11 o'clock to represent the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the time that World War One formally ended.
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Consider wearing your poppy on the left side, as this is close to the heart, men may consider it correct to wear their poppy in their left lapel, similar to a boutonnière. Some believe it correct for women wear to wear their poppy on the right, similar to a brooch.

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How do I wear a poppy with a safety pin?

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Choose a small to medium safety pin. Pin the safety onto your garment carefully (as safety pins can damage delicate fabrics), then push the stem of your poppy between the two bars of the safety pin. The petals should hold it in place.

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How can I wear a poppy on a scarf?

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You can attach a poppy to any scarf you are wearing. Put your scarf on, then pin it on or attach the poppy either where you scarf is tied, or looped, or on the top of either end of your scarf. Pinning a poppy to a silk scarf might damage it. Wool scarves are very easy to attach a poppy to, just push the plastic "stem" through the knitted fabric of the scarf. Your poppy might look silly just swing at the end of your scarf - you may not want to wear a poppy on the end of a scarf.

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How can I wear a poppy on a t-shirt?

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Pin your poppy to your tee shirt roughly where a typical logo would be embroidered or printed on the chest area of the tee shirt - image your tee shirt is a polo shirt with that famous crocodile logo on it and pin your poppy where the crocodile would be. Choose a slim, dressmaker's pin to avoid damaging your tee shirt.

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Don't do anything disrespectful like customize a poppy.

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Warnings

Not everyone believes in honouring the fallen by wearing a poppy. Respect the wishes of others that choose not to wear a poppy as long as they respect your wish to wear one.

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