How To Really Pin A Poppy

Once again it is the time of year when we remember the ultimate sacrifice paid by the men and women of our armed forces in securing freedom not only for ourselves but also those of distant nations, by wearing a red poppy on our attire, symbolic firstly of those who served, died and were buried in WWII in Flanders Fields and elsewhere, but secondly of the deeds of those who survived, and by extension, all those who have similarly sacrificed and served in the decades since that hellish chapter of history in various other conflicts.

Inevitably each year in advance of Remembrance Day, the problem of how to securely fasten the poppy to a garment with its straight pin arises. I have heard and read of numerous ideas to prevent it from slipping loose, with some solutions being temporary at best, others a waste of effort.

The method I will describe is ridiculously simple, requires no extra materials and is guaranteed to fix the poppy resolutely in place, while remaining easy to remove if so desired. A considerable bit of force would be required to tear it off.

It is this: attach the poppy as usual, passing the pin through the fabric of the garment, but then back the pin up a bit and push it through the curled edge of the poppy so it effectively acts like a brooch.

I don’t believe this method is new, but I have yet to see anyone else employ it, not even service personnel or veterans. I’m hoping it will catch on and end the annual poppy-pin conundrum. This needless little aggravation should no longer mar the wearing of such an important symbol.

I’m sure that a percentage of poppy sales are actually replacement purchases for lost pins. This method will make certain you won’t lose yours – but might result in a decline in poppy sales if adopted by enough people! I certainly won’t advocate something that will reduce the revenues collected by veterans, so I make this suggestion: when you see a poppy box, regardless of the fact that you won’t require another pin, make a donation anyhow. It will be appreciated.

And by the way, to some of you: the proper place to wear the poppy is over the heart, not on the brim of a hat like fishing tackle, or other demeaning places. The difference actually means something to the people around you.

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