Occupy Nottingham bought their poppies today from Alley Cafe and Bernados charity shop in preparation for Fridays Armistice Service.

Occupy Nottingham bought their poppies today from Alley Cafe and Bernados charity shop in preparation for Fridays Armistice Service. The camp will be respecting the occasion and participate and observe in the two minute silence on this day of remembrance.

All donations will go to the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire refugee forum destitution fund.

This is in aid to several hundred asylum seekers in Nottingham who have fled war, oppression, persecution or violence; those who have nothing to live on, no accommodation, no access to healthcare, benefits or other public services, not even night shelters.  For some, Home Office errors are to blame, for others, it's their refusal to return to a war zone such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo or Sudan. Those in these situations face arrest, torture or death in the country they have fled.

We all must remember why we commemorate this day, it commemorates the armistice signed on the 11th of November at the 11th Hour in 1918 by the allies of World War I and Germany at, for the cessation of hostilities and remembrance of those who died.

It is observed by the Commonwealth countries and many countries outside the commonwealth, in the United states it is known as Vetrens Day

The Poppy

The poppy has been used in symbolism for a long time they have their roots in ancient tradition as they are found in greek and roman myth where they were used as offerings to the dead. 

In classical mythology the poppy also represents Morpheus, god of dreams, he is the son of Nyx, the primordial goddess of the Night.

Morpheus is the eldest of triplets known as the Oneiroi, along with Icelus and Phantasos. Because of this he is also referred to as Oneiros. The Oneiroi are attendants of Hypnos, the god of Sleep, bringing dreams to the mortals and gods.

The red poppy with its bright scarlet colour representing the blood of those who died in war and another interpretation that has its roots in classical mythology is the promise of resurrection after death.

A few years after the red poppies introduction in 1926, the idea for the white poppy was coined by the "No More War Movement", like the red poppy this had a black centre, the white poppy originally had "No more War" written in it's centre.  These were distributed by the Peace Pledge Union from 1934 as a pledge for war to not happen again.

Regardless of your political standpoint whatever the colour they both represent remembrance and both are supported by Occupy Nottingham. 

Like those who died in the two great wars Occupy Nottingham remembers those who who are fighting today and those who die and suffer in todays world and hope for the cessation of suffering in those countries those both far and near, hoping for a better and safer world for our children to live and grow up in.