On Nov. 11, we honour those that lost their lives in service of country, and before that, we wear poppies as symbols of that respect.
The poppy is traditionally worn starting on the last Friday of October until the Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11.
The ceremonial first poppies in Keremeos presented by the Royal Canadian Legion's , to Mayor Jason Wiebe and Coun. Tracey Henderson.
Following the presentation of the first poppies, the Legion's annual campaign distributing them them has also begun.
The poppies are free, but the Legion gathers donations that go to the Poppy Fund, which supports veterans and their families in need.
Poppies are also worn at the funerals of veterans and for other commemorative events such as memorial services or the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
To respectfully honour our veterans, the Royal Canadian Legion has a guide to poppy protocol.
The poppy should be worn on the left side, over the heart, and should not be affixed with any pin that obstructs the poppy. Some branches have reusable black centre poppy pins which are used to affix a poppy to the lapel.
Some people choose to wear a poppy through the end of the day on Nov. 11, while others remove their poppies at the conclusion of the Remembrance Day ceremony, placing their poppies on the cenotaph or on a wreath as a sign of respect.
This has become a tradition each year at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa, where thousands of poppies are placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
With files from John Arendt, Summerland Review
