Why is the the poppy the flower for Veterans Day?

Answer 1

The use of the poppy as a symbol on Veterans Day (Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth) is derived from its symbolism in the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilt in the war.

In the years following World War One, governments and society in general had not yet accepted responsibility for those maimed and bereaved as a result of the Great War. Massive unemployment in Britain made the problem much worse.

Earl Haig, the Commander in Chief of the British Army undertook the mighty task of organizing the British Legion as a means of helping with the problems of hundreds and thousands of men who had served under him. In 1921, a group of French widows visited him at the British Legion Headquarters. They had brought with them some poppies they had made, and suggested selling them as a means of raising money.

1921 - Britain and Australia start selling Poppies

1922 - First Poppy Day in New Zealand

1925 - First Poppy Day Canada

The most recent and enduring tradition began in WWI when John McCrae wrote this famous poem:

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."

John McCrae 1915

McCrae was a Canadian who enlisted to help the allies in the war. He was made Medical Officer upon landing in Europe. During a lull in the battle with the nub of a pencil he scratched on a page from his dispatch book. The poem found its way into the pages of Punch magazine. By 1918 the poem was well known throughout the allied world. Moina Michael, an American woman, wrote these lines in reply:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She then adopted the custom of wearing a red poppy in memory of the sacrifices of war and also as a symbol of keeping the faith.

A French woman, Madam Guerin, visiting the United States, learned of the custom and took it one step further. When she returned to France she decided to hand make the red poppies and sell them to raise money for the benefit of the orphaned and destitute women and children in war torn areas of France. This tradition spread to Canada, the United States and Australia and is still followed today.

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The reason for the Poppy is that it is a plant which thrives on disturbed ground. The seeds, which are produced by the millions in the seed heads, lie dormant until the soil is broken up. The shelling in the trenches was perfect for the poppy, which grew in their millions when nothing else did. The poems came later, the poppies came from the activity and the blasting of the ground.

Answer 2

The use of the poppy as a symbol on Veterans Day (Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth) is derived from its symbolism in the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilt in the war.

In the years following World War One, governments and society in general had not yet accepted responsibility for those maimed and bereaved as a result of the Great War. Massive unemployment in Britain made the problem much worse.

Earl Haig, the Commander in Chief of the British Army undertook the mighty task of organizing the British Legion as a means of helping with the problems of hundreds and thousands of men who had served under him. In 1921, a group of French widows visited him at the British Legion Headquarters. They had brought with them some poppies they had made, and suggested selling them as a means of raising money.

1921 - Britain and Australia start selling Poppies

1922 - First Poppy Day in New Zealand

1925 - First Poppy Day Canada

The most recent and enduring tradition began in WWI when John McCrae wrote this famous poem:

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."

John McCrae 1915

McCrae was a Canadian who enlisted to help the allies in the war. He was made Medical Officer upon landing in Europe. During a lull in the battle with the nub of a pencil he scratched on a page from his dispatch book. The poem found its way into the pages of Punch magazine. By 1918 the poem was well known throughout the allied world. Moina Michael, an American woman, wrote these lines in reply:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She then adopted the custom of wearing a red poppy in memory of the sacrifices of war and also as a symbol of keeping the faith.

A French woman, Madam Guerin, visiting the United States, learned of the custom and took it one step further. When she returned to France she decided to hand make the red poppies and sell them to raise money for the benefit of the orphaned and destitute women and children in war torn areas of France. This tradition spread to Canada, the United States and Australia and is still followed today.

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The reason for the Poppy is that it is a plant which thrives on disturbed ground. The seeds, which are produced by the millions in the seed heads, lie dormant until the soil is broken up. The shelling in the trenches was perfect for the poppy, which grew in their millions when nothing else did. The poems came later, the poppies came from the activity and the blasting of the ground.

Answer 3

Flanders is the name of the whole western part of Belgium.it saw some of the most concentrated and bloodiest fights at the first world war . There was complete devastation.buildings roads,trees and natural life is simply disappeared.where once there were homes and farms there was now a sea of mud a grave for the dead were the men still live and fought. Only one other living thing survived and that was the poppy ,flowering each year with the coming of the warm weather.brought life.hope,colour and reassurance to those still fighting. Poppies on flower in rooted up soil.there seeds can lay in the ground for years without germinating and only grow after the ground has been disturbed

; 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. ; John McCrae 1915

The most recent and enduring tradition began in WWI when John McCrae wrote the poem that appears above. McCrae was a Canadian who enlisted to help the allies in the war. He was made Medical Officer upon landing in Europe. During a lull in the battle with the nub of a pencil he scratched on a page from his dispatch book. The poem found its way into the pages of Punch magazine. By 1918 the poem was well known throughout the allied world. Moina Michael, an American woman, wrote these lines in reply. We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies She then adopted the custom of wearing a red poppy in memory of the sacrifices of war and also as a symbol of keeping the faith. A French women, Madam Guerin, visiting the United States, learned of the custom and took it one step further. When she returned to France she decided to hand make the red poppies and sell them to raise money for the benefit of the orphaned and destitute women and children in war torn areas of France. This tradition spread to The United Kingdom, Canada, The United States and Australia and is still followed today. The money collected from the sale of poppies goes to fund various veterans programs.

Answer 4

Poppies are important to Veteran's Day because of their poignant mention in the WWI poem: "In Flanders" Field".They are not just important they are a big deal because the red mean the blood of the people that died and the green is for Flanders Field. Thats why it is an important symbol.

Answer 5

The artificial poppies, worn mostly in the UK and Canada in the days up to November 11, represent the poppy fields of the Flanders region, now part of Belgium, France, and The Netherlands, where many soldiers died during WW1.

The red honors the blood shed by the soldiers. The black represents the grief that comes with their death. And the green stem stands for hope.

The poem "In Flander's Fields" written by a Canadian, is a poignant one about the sacrifices and loss.

Answer 6

In 1915, during World War One, Dr. John McCrea, who was working to help soldiers in France, wrote a poem "In Flanders Fields, about the poppies growing on the graves of dead soldiers. An American poet, Moina Michael read the beautiful poem. It gave her the idea of using poppies to remember the dead but also to help the living at the same time. She bought real poppies and gave them out to friends. She also sold some poppies and gave the money to surviving, needy ex-soldiers. Others enjoyed the idea of selling poppies to raise money for injured and old soldiers and the families of those killed. The first official Poppy Day, organised by a charity called The Royal British Legion, was held in 1921.

Find Out Why People Wear Poppies In November...

http://www.show.me.UK/site/STO522.HTML

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Answer 7

Because of the 1919 WW I poem by John MaCrae. Flanders is a region of Belgium. Also see "In Flanders Fields" in the Wikipedia.

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.

Answer 8

Because, The red Poppie represents the Blood of the Soldiers that fought in the war. ~

Answer 9

After the battle, thousands of poppies grew where the dead were.

Red is a sign of blood and the black centre is where the bullet was.