It's a big thing for the English ( anglos )
the sociologists amongst us may be able to explain why
Battle dead of Waterloo werent as revered
( but the confederate dead were - if you look at the Traflagar Sq American Hotel - 1917-19 - a reference point for American troops come to win the Gt War - they go out of their way to show that it is run by the confed veterans associations )
even the Belgians say they dont treat the war dead as the English do. "The belgian fields are full of english stumbling over furrows and weeping and rarely a belgian is to be seen" - all the year round not just Nov.
Having done it myself it is a very emotional experience.
Michael Foot was slaughtered over wearing a donkey jkt at a cenotaph 1981 - yhou will also notice that history is being re written before your very eyes !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7361078/Michael-Foot-and-the-donkey-jacket-that-wasnt.html
and harold and mary wilson got it in equal measure when he turned up to the cenotaph with a darned jkt - Mary was NOT praised for home economy
the footballers wore poppies in defiance of the rules
and no one said - oh come on boys - play the game !
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/731727/England-football-Poppy-Remembrance-Day-no-FIFA-fine-Scotland?