What’s a Poppy?

The papaver rhoeas, known as the common poppy, is an annual flower that blooms in late spring in Europe. The flower thrives when the soil is disturbed. Due of the continuous bombardments in Belgium and other battlefields, the red poppies were a prominent feature near the trenches and over the soldier’s graves.

Did you know that the pollen of papaver rhoeas cause no allergic reaction via inhalation?

John McCrae’s Poem. May 1915

Inspired by the sight of the poppies, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer, wrote a short poem during the Second Battle of Ypres soon after the death of a close friend. McCrae was not very proud of his poem but was encouraged by friends to send it for publication.

Punch Magazine, December 1915

Punch, or the London Charivari was a British satirical publication focused on short articles, poems and small print. Prior the war, Punch was a well-established and very popular magazine. In December 1915, they decided to publish John McCrae’s 13 lines poem.

Did you know that Punch Magazine published anti-war content prior to World War I? Quickly after the beginning of the conflict, the magazine did not publish anti-war statement and became very supportive of the war effort.

Recruitment tool, 1917

John McCrae’s poem along with the poppies were often used in propaganda posters to sell war bonds and for the recruitment effort. This was especially true in Canada as the country was going through the conscription crisis and needed a symbol of perseverance.

Moina Michael, 1918

An American teacher, miss Moina Michael was touched by reading John McCrae’s poem and vowed to wear a red poppy as a remembrance symbol for those who served during the War of 1914-18. As she was teaching wounded veterans at the University of Georgia at the time, she realized there was a financial need to support these men, and so she started raising funds by selling silk poppies.

Madame Anna Guerin was inspired by this initiative during a visit to the United States and brought the idea to France, and she drove multiple campaigns to help widows and orphans of the war.

Veterans’ Associations, 1921

The ancestor of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Great War Veterans’ Association in Canada made the poppy their official remembrance symbol in July 1921. The same year, the Royal British Legion ordered 9 million poppies in the hope to sell them on Armistice Day (11 November). In both countries the poppy campaign was a success and the profits went to support veterans of the war.

White Poppy, 1926

After the popularization of the red poppy in the Commonwealth, pacifist movements in the United Kingdom started to use a white version of the traditional remembrance poppy to add the hope of a world without war. Today, many anti-war organizations support the White Poppy Movement but it’s popularity has diminished by the controversy surrounding the meaning of the white poppy, which is perceived as a lack of respect for the veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Today

Red poppies are worn on lapels every year in Canada from the last Friday in October until November 11th to remember those who died in combat, and not exclusively during World War I. They can be procured from the Legion during this period in exchange of a donation to help support veterans. Poppy Appeal Campaigns are usually the biggest fundraising activities of Legion organizations. Based on an act of parliament on 30 June 1948, only the Legion has the authority to sell poppies, “entrusted by the people of Canada to uphold and maintain the Poppy as a symbol reminding us to never forget the sacrifices Veterans made to protect our freedom.”