Rememberance Day

I can remember when I was a little girl and went shopping with my mom in the month of November, she would her give me a quarter to put in a bucket and I would receive a little red flower in return.  I didn't understand at the time what it was all about, but I remember liking the flower.  Then when I got older, I didn't remember seeing those buckets or the flowers any more.  But here in England, they still remember and every year sell "poppies" to earn money to help the people who have fought in the different wars that their country was involved in.  It is a big deal here, and I love it!  Our ward helped in the poppy collections and a wreath laying.  At every war monument (and there are a lot of them), wreaths are placed by different companies, organizations or individuals.  It is wonderful to see them all over town. 

 

 

The small paper poppies were given for any amount the people would like to donate.
We also sold lapel pins, wooden crosses, and wrist bands for set amounts.

Carol Facciano was one of the ladies that laid the wreath at the
war memorial monument for our ward.

 

As part of the 100 year celebration of Britain entering the first world war, ceramic poppies were placed (a few each day) in the moat at the Tower of London.  Each flower represented a soldier who lost his life in that war.  There were over 880,000 poppies in the moat by the time they finished.  We made our way over after it was mostly filled, but before the craziness of the final days.  It was incredibly sobering, especially to know that each flower represented a human life.  War is such a horrible thing! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2810085/The-field-remembrance-grows-Tower-London-moat-nearly-ceramic-poppies-commemorating-World-War-s-victims.html

The moat of the Tower of London, filled with over 880,000 ceramic poppies. 
 Each poppy representing a person who lost his life during that first world war.