This year marks the 100th anniversary of honouring the Remembrance Day poppy in Canada.
Madame Anna Guérin, later christened “The Poppy Lady from France”, inspired by John McCrae’s tribute poem “In Flanders Fields”, had an idea — to adopt the distribution of the Poppy on Armistice Day as a way to raise money for Veterans’ needs and to remember those who had given their lives during the First World War.
In July of 1921 the Great War Veterans Association (which in 1925 would unify with other Veteran groups to form the Canadian Legion) adopted the Poppy as the flower of Remembrance.
Since then, the Legion and its members — and everyone across Canada — have upheld this tradition of Remembrance.
Besides Canada, Remembrance poppies are mostly used in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, all of which are realms of the Commonwealth of Nations — to commemorate servicemen and women killed in conflict. They are used to a much lesser extent in the United States. Everyone knows what this symbol references, but how did it come to mean what it now does?
While the significance of the poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century — over 110 years before being adopted in Canada — this bright red flower is the enduring symbol of remembrance of the First World War (WWI). While it is strongly linked with Armistice Day (November 11), the poppy’s origin as a popular symbol of remembrance lies in the landscapes of the Western Front.
The Western Front was a 400-plus mile stretch of land weaving through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea. It was the decisive front of WWI. Perhaps not ironically, blood-red poppies flourished in the soil churned up by the fighting and shelling. Scientists have attributed the poppy’s growth in these soils to the possible enrichment of lime from the rubble left behind by the destruction. The red poppy provided Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae with inspiration for his poem “In Flanders Fields”, which he wrote while serving on the front lines in Ypres in 1915.
Within months of being published, this poem came to symbolize the sacrifices of all who were fighting in the First World War. Today, the poem continues to be a part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada and other countries throughout the world.
How to wear a poppy
Wearing a poppy is a personal expression of remembrance, and how someone chooses to wear a poppy is always an individual choice. Various charities sell poppies in different colours, each with their own meaning but all to commemorate the losses of war. White poppies, for example, symbolize peace without violence and purple poppies are worn to honour animals killed in conflict. In WWI, over eight million horses and countless donkeys and mules died.
The poppy should be worn with respect on the left side, over the heart. The lapel poppy is a sacred symbol of remembrance and should not be affixed with any pin or bow that obstructs the poppy.
When to wear a poppy
The lapel poppy should be worn during the Remembrance period, from the last Friday in October until November 11. The Royal Canadian Legion also encourages the wearing of poppies at funerals of veterans, and for any commemorative event such as a memorial service, or the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. As well, it is not inappropriate to wear a poppy during other times to commemorate fallen veterans, but it is an individual choice to do so.
How to remove a poppy
Poppies may be worn throughout the remembrance period, including in the evening after the Remembrance Day ceremony. Some choose to remove their poppy at the end of the day on November 11. Some choose to remove their poppy at the conclusion of the ceremony and place their poppy on a cenotaph or on a wreath as a sign of respect. This has become a poignant tradition each year at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa as thousands of poppies are placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
When a poppy is removed, it should be stored appropriately or it may be disposed of respectfully. We encourage anyone who finds a poppy that has fallen to the ground to pick it up and brush it off so that it can be kept or disposed of respectfully.
Every year in Canada, The Royal Canadian Legion conducts the Poppy Campaign — along with thousands of their members who volunteer from coast to coast to coast — to raise funds in support of veterans and their families. While poppies are always distributed freely, The Royal Canadian Legion gratefully accepts donations to the Poppy Fund, which directly supports Canada’s veterans and their families in need. These generous donations are invaluable to their organization. You can visit the website at legion.ca for more information on the essential services they offer. The Legion also operates a store at poppystore.ca where you can buy poppy jewelery, bags, shirts and even face masks. This year the store is offering a special 100th year commemorative poppy reminiscent of the first poppies distributed after WWI.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row.
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Wear your poppy proudly this Remembrance Day in honour of those both past and present who have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today.