‘Poppy shamers’ are spreading false rumours about wearing your poppy in public

Don't trust the internet, basically

JOE

‘Poppy shamers’ are spreading false rumours about wearing your poppy in public

Wearing a red poppy in the month of November is a voluntary gesture that allows us to commemorate those who gave their lives in war so we can live freely.

Pinning the red paper flower to a coat, shirt or jacket in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday (or Armistice Day, depending on what falls later) is a symbol of respect and gratitude, and for many it endures as one of Britain’s most important traditions. It is not compulsory. Buy one and wear it with pride if you feel it’s the right thing to do – refrain if you take issue with the meaning, as some do.

But every year the same squabbles seems to surface as to where, why and how the paper poppy should appropriately be worn.

There are those who say you should always wear a poppy on the left, so it’s closest to your heart. There’s an argument that men should wear theirs on the left, women on the right, as is traditional with a badge or a brooch.

And another suggestion, which has predictably been doing the rounds on social media, is that the leaf should point to the 11 o’clock position to signify the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – the date and time that World War One formally ended.

Wear your poppy with pride. That means the green leaf must be at 11 o'clock when you put it on your clothing. So many don't know about this

— Jono Dixon©️ (@sunkfarmer) October 23, 2016

Come on @gmb. PLEASE put the leaf of the poppy at 11 O'clock

— Rowan J Rivers (@rowanjrivers) November 1, 2016

@GMB can you presenters wear their poppy's correctly? the leaf should be at the 11 o clock position to represent the 11th day/hour.

— david paul (@davpaul80) November 1, 2016

https://twitter.com/linderlooo/status/793162909052461056

If your going to moan about people not wearing a poppy at least have the decency to wear yours properly, the wee leaf points at 11 o'clock

— TONY CARROLL (@papatony7) October 30, 2016

Lady on #countryfile with leaf on her Poppy pointing wrong way. It's toward 11 o'clock dear, 11 o'clock.

— Just me. (@Welshtabby) October 30, 2016

If you want to uphold any of these ideas, then go right ahead. In truth, though, none of them are in any way conditions of poppy-wearing. In the case of the 11 o’clock leaf, it’s an urban myth.

The official line consistently repeated by the Royal British Legion is that there is no wrong or right way to wear one. They only ask that anyone who chooses to wear one does so with pride.