Questions

[owlfish]

• Poppy Day is the only annual day in Britain named after a flower. Why, then, is it not a big day for florists? Why does everyone buy paper poppies?


• I've sent off my registration for Novacon.* The event's only in two weeks, I won't be able to register through the con for hotel space until my registration is processed, and warning signs are everywhere that singles are limited and will probably be sold out by now. I could book a single right away in the correct hotel through its website. Other than it costing more (albeit less than a double), is there any reason not to? Is there some moral factor about making sure the con has enough of its room block sold out to justify receiving free function space from the hotel, and booking via the website would mean my booking isn't helping the con?


• I went to my local post office to mail an envelope today, only to discover they don't do express mail. Regular airmail only. So I went to Canary Wharf, to a full, dedicated post office, and sent it express mail there. Are most UK post offices so limited as to not do express mail? What else is too much to expect of little local postal outlets?

* I've been dilemma'ing between the London Good Food Fair and Novacon. There's still a small chance I may be able to see the food fair as well, but I'm not counting on it. I decided to err on the side of seeing people I'd not seen in a while.

Comments

[daisho.livejournal.com]

Yes, they're different events. November 11 is Armistice Day, marking the end of the First World War specifically, but expanded to commemorate other war dead as well. Remembrance Sunday is scheduled as you say -- Here's a bit of info on the difference.

[owlfish]

Thank you. Is Rememberance Sunday Christian-specific or more widely oberved? Your linked materuak didn't specify that it was, but I can't help but wonder.

[owlfish]

"materuak" --> "material"

[daisho.livejournal.com]

I assumed as much. :)

[lazyknight.livejournal.com]

I would guess Christian-specific, in as much as it's sunday and pretty much every UK church will have some kind of rememberance theme that day, but given the scope of the tributes and memorials laid out for the day, you'd have to be pretty hard hearted to avoid thinking it...

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Up until WWII, Remembrance/Armistice Day was observed on November 11. After that, in order to reduce disruption to the working day, it shifted to Sunday and was observed by all - this was the day when the Two Minutes Silence at 11 am was observed, as well as ceremonies at local war memorials - laying of wreaths of poppies, particularly to commemmorate those whose bodies were never recovered or were buried a long way away.

Some years ago, the 11th fell on a Sunday, and since then it has become the practice to observe the Two Minutes Silence on the actual 11th again.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

I am due to be giving a lecture at 11 on the 11th, lucky me.

[cynicaloptimist.livejournal.com]

Only in that it comes from the religious services originally used for commemoration, which were Christian as we were a mostly Christian company. These days, they're much mor multicultural.

[lazyknight.livejournal.com]

's'exactly what I was going to post, but I thought I'd check to see if someone else had first :-)