As Memorial Day arrives, you may notice red poppies pinned to lapels or dangling from rearview mirrors. These fabric or crepe paper poppies represent more than a fundraising effort for the country’s veterans: they honor and memorialise fallen heroes.
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When is Memorial Day?
Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May and this year it will be on May 30th, 2022.
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History of Poppies for Memorial Day
Every year, Memorial Day poppies arise, raising donations for a worthy cause. What, though, is the significance of wearing one of these red flowers? Since World War I (1914–1918), the red poppy, also known as the Remembrance Poppy, has been symbolic of lives lost in war, and Memorial Day poppies have played an important role in history of the holiday. The proceeds from the sale of red poppies go to veterans’ organisations and charities, as well as veterans’ causes.
CELEBRATE * HONOR * REMEMBER
Honor and Remember our fallen heroes this Memorial Day
A poem gave birth to the poppy as a symbol of combat deaths. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian artillery unit brigade physician, was inspired to write “In Flanders Fields” after seeing vivid red poppies growing on the battlefields where so many Canadians had died.
Two women from separate countries were influenced by the poem in different ways. In 1918, American University of Georgia professor Mona Michael penned a poem called “We Shall Keep Faith” in response to McCrae’s. She also began wearing a red poppy in support of the troops, and she devised a plan to make and sell red poppies to collect funds for veterans.
In France, Anna Guérin coordinated major poppy drives, producing and selling poppies to fundraise for widows, orphans, and heroes, as well as to fund France’s post-war reconstruction efforts.
She promoted her proposal for an “Inter-Allied Poppy Day” and began Poppy Days in numerous Allied countries, during which fundraising poppies were sold. Poppy factories were established, and the silk and paper blossoms were often made by injured veterans.
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Poppy Flower Meanings
Many Americans will wear a bright red poppy on their shirts on Monday, May 30, 2022, as a mark of respect. The poppy is usually worn in the United States on Memorial Day, the final Monday in May, to memorialise the sacrifices of those who fought and died for their nation. National Poppy Day is observed on the Friday before Memorial Day (this year on May 27). The poppies are manufactured by veterans as part of their therapeutic rehabilitation, and the American Legion Auxiliary distributes them across the country in exchange for donations to help handicapped and sick veterans.
Flower Symbol of Memorial Day
Poppies, despite their lovely blossoms, are strictly considered weeds. They’re tough little plants that thrive in even the harshest environments, such as Belgium’s bleak battlefields. Despite the devastation to the landscapes, red poppies would emerge from the ruins in the spring, like tiny bulbs of hope.
Why Poppies for Memorial Day?
Poppies are hardy plants that thrive in harsh, hostile environments, including battlefields. A symbol for the ultimate sacrifice emerged in the previous century: red poppies. As the holiday season approaches, these vibrant flowers will be pinned to garments, affixed to rearview mirrors, and hung from window panes.
Send someone a poppy arrangement now that you understand the significance of the poppy for Memorial Day. Honor the lives of fallen troops while also helping to raise funds for veterans. To buy the freshest red poppies, go to SnapBlooms.
