There are some things in England that are incomprehensible to outsiders, for example the separate and widely spaced faucets for hot and cold water or why the English overtake on the right in left-hand traffic but only on the left on escalators in the subway (I never know what I should do when someone comes towards me on a staircase).
This week I saw many people in London with a red paper flower, which they wore on their lapel with obvious pride. On television, every BBC presenter or reporter wore such a paper flower. The paper flowers, called Poppy, come from the Royal British Legion, and you get them in exchange for a small donation. The money benefits soldiers and veterans. The obvious popularity of these Poppies shows how proud people are of the army (my British colleagues humorously made it clear to me between the lines that this might not be the case in Germany).