Why do we wear poppies and what do they mean | Global News Avenue

Across Britain, poppies are worn every year to mark commemorations and remember those who lost their lives in the two world wars and other conflicts.

Various events and ceremonies take place around Armistice Day (November 11) and Remembrance Day, and poppies are a common sight throughout.

The Royal British Legion and PoppyScotland have launched two major campaigns, donating funds from the sale of poppies to current and former members of the Armed Forces and their families.

The tradition originated in World War I but has become a symbol to commemorate those who gave their lives in other conflicts.

Here’s more about the origins of the poppy, its importance and why they remain a symbol of British remembrance.

In 1915, Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his famous war poem “In Flanders Fields” after witnessing the devastation on the battlefield at Ypres, Belgium.

The poem describes the delicate red wildflowers that bloomed where more than a million soldiers died between 1914 and 1918.

Inspired by Anna Guérin, the French teacher-turned-war fundraiser began selling poppies on designated dates starting in September 1919. She then addressed the American, Canadian and British Legions, demanding recognition of the poppy as a commemorative emblem.

In 1921, the Royal British Legion ordered 1 million poppies from Anna Guérin in France and commissioned Britain to produce an additional 8 million.

They were made of silk and sold at the first Poppy Appeal on November 11 of that year.

Although silk has become a thing of the past, the tradition continues to this day. In 2023, the Legion begins making fully recyclable paper poppies.

In 1926, Mrs. Haig opened the Mrs. Haig Poppy Factory in Scotland, employing veterans to make flowers from tissue paper. This is the center of poppy production to satisfy the appeal of the Scottish poppy.

The Scottish poppy has no green leaves and has four petals, while the poppy of England and Wales has two petals.

The red poppy commemorates those who died in the First World War and all conflicts since. It is said to represent remembrance and hope.

Purple poppies are often worn to commemorate animals who have died in service, particularly horses, a large number of which were killed during the First World War.

Donations to the Purple Poppy for Animals Foundation will go to charities including the Family Rider Foundation and World Equestrian Welfare.

The Black Poppy commemorates the contribution of the black, African and Caribbean communities to the war effort as service men and women and as civilians.

The BlackPoppyRose charity was founded in 2010 to end “ignorance about the contribution of Africans and people of African descent to European wars throughout the ages”.

The white poppy represents all victims of war and is sold by the Peace Pledge Alliance, which challenges war and seeks non-violent solutions to war.

The Royal British Legion says there is no “right” way to wear a poppy, just that you must “wear it with pride”. Most people tend to wear one pinned to their coat lapels.

The Legion said: “Wearing a poppy is a personal choice and reflects an individual and personal memory.”

“Whether and how you choose to wear a poppy is a matter of personal choice.”

Wreaths, metal badges, charms and brooches are also produced annually.

The symbol has inspired a number of large-scale installations in recent years.

A massive display of nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies was installed on the Tower of London’s moat 10 years ago.

Each poppy represents the life of a British or colonial soldier who died in the First World War.

The poppies, created by artist Paul Cummins, were sold to the public after Remembrance Day 2014 for £25 each, raising more than £15 million for service charities.

In Suffolk, thousands of knitted and crocheted poppies have become village centerpiecewhile members of Rosedale Women’s Institute in North Yorkshire created a life size model Portrait of a soldier decorated with knitted poppies to commemorate Memorial Sunday 2024.

In Scotland, red lights have been installed at landmarks as part of the national “Light Up the Red” campaign.