Personally, November is a bit of a bummer month, for not having anything to look forward to. The only festive frolicking is Loy Krathong -- and I'm not sure what that commemorates or celebrates precisely. Out of habit and some weird justification, my household will probably have to float something in our little village pond. Mostly because it's become a bit of a societal requirement -- you're considered a total misanthrope if the neighbours notice that you don't show up. Besides being shunned by the village, would I be forever blacklisted by the water gods for choosing to opt out of this eye-watering and ecologically reckless festival?
The power of symbols and traditions can be tremendous. Whether the cause is religious, political or whatever other reason, faith in these objects of statement are even more magnified, especially in the age of digital connectivity. We see what feels like practically everyone with a pulse (over)-sharing their "me-too" updates about all of it, and people who don't follow suit getting snubbed -- or even getting death threats. But has the symbol overshadowed what it actually stands for in today's age?
On a mild level from our shores, people who brave Sanam Luang without wearing the yellow/blue/purple/pink/To Be No.1 polo on certain birthdays of members of the royal family can be met with stares or even glares from pro-royalists.
In the UK though, it's distressing to see people getting death threats when they don't wear the red poppy on Nov 11. According to The Huffington Post, a string of public figures, be it West Brom footballer James McClean or actress Sienna Miller, have got into hot water for not wearing the red poppy. Today is, in fact, Remembrance Day. Let's get those dates in check, in case you haven't the faintest idea what the whole point of that flower pin was. As much as it sounds like I am stating the obvious, there are alarmingly ways that people today jump on the bandwagon without even knowing what stance they're making.
This memorial day came into existence on Nov 11, 1919 -- exactly a year after the hostilities of World War I officially ended on Nov 11, 1918. The Commonwealth nations observe this day to remember their armed forces that died on duty. This now globally-recognised flower, which has come to be associated with war, was chosen because the red poppy was described as blooming across Flanders battlefield, in the popular poem In Flanders Fields. Its morbidly bright red colour is to bring to mind all the blood that was shed because of the war.
But despite the respect and remembrance it stands for, surely there are others out there who don't share the sentiment? World War II veteran Harry Leslie Smith, a former RAF serviceman, is one of them. To The Huffington Post, the 92-year-old said: "The red poppy is now being used as a political tool by the government to 'sell' its war on terror."
For him, it is most hypocritical for governments to be honouring late veterans in a moment of remembrance, only to go ahead and reach settlements that would lead to more deaths right after. Regarding last year's red poppy installation at the Tower of London, he said in the article: "Almost immediately after Nov 11, the Tower, which had been used to mourn our dead, hosted a dinner for the arms merchants of the world, which shows not only poor taste but the sheer hypocrisy of the government that commissioned the commemoration."
Whether the poppy has been used to glorify war or not in this case, what's most important is to understand what these flowers stand for. They represent the cost of war -- all the sweat, blood and tears and lives sacrificed around the world. But even if people have their own reasons for not wanting to participate or "display their respect", one thought we must cling to as steadfastly is that they are completely entitled to do so. And that we don't need to flood them with hate.
Symbols should never become more important than the actual sentiment, nor considered as a legitimate indication of how committed you are. Why would it matter if one doesn't wear the red poppy but is donating a large sum of money to help out a war widow? For the lack of any other visual comparison, I suppose good thoughts, being involved and being charitable is a bit like wearing underwear. It's something you have on and that's what matters -- even if nobody sees it. As John Walsh of The Independent said: "No one should be coerced or bullied into displaying sympathy for a cause -- doing so renders the gesture worthless."
Parisa Pichitmarn is a feature writer of the Life section of the Bangkok Post.