The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance after the First World War, inspired by the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” written in 1915 by Canadian doctor and soldier Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. In the poem, McCrae described how poppies were the first flowers to bloom on the devastated battlefields of Flanders, growing among the graves of fallen soldiers.
Moved by the poem, Moina Michael, an American academic, began wearing a red poppy in memory of those who had died in the war. Her idea spread, and in 1921, the Royal British Legion adopted the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in the UK.
Each year, millions of people wear the red poppy in the lead-up to Remembrance Day on November 11th, honouring the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces. The funds raised through poppy sales support veterans and their families.
The poppy’s vibrant red colour is not a symbol of bloodshed, but of hope and remembrance — a poignant reminder that even in the darkest times, life and beauty can endure.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.