London Poppy Day

On November 11, 1921, the first poppy day occurred in Britain. At that time, First World War had been over for three years and the United Kingdom (UK) was in the middle of an economic recession that saw two million people unemployed.

In the United States, the traditional date to wear these poppies is the Friday before Memorial Day. In the UK, they are worn to mark Armistice Day on November 11, which is the day the Armistice agreement was signed, marking the end of fighting and the start of peace negotiations when it entered into force at 11 a.m.

London Poppy Day aims to raise £1m in a day and up to 2,000 personnel, veterans and volunteers were planning to fundraise across the capital.

The event has been running since 2006 and usually takes place on the first Thursday in November. The day sees volunteers and armed forces veterans selling poppy merchandise to raise funds at venues such as railway stations on the London Underground and in offices, as well as entertainment provided by military bands.