Remembrance poppy The remembrance poppy is an artificial flower that has been used since 1921 to commemorate military personnel who have died in war, and represents a common or field poppy, Papaver rhoeas. Inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields", and promoted by Moina Michael, they were first adopted by the American Legion to commemorate American soldiers killed in that war (1914–1918). They were then adopted by military veterans' groups in parts of the British Empire. Today, they are mostly used in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to commemorate their servicemen and women killed in all conflicts. There, The flower of the common or field small artificial poppies are often worn on clothing leading up to Remembrance poppy Papaver rhoeas, on which the Day/Armistice Day,[1] and poppy wreaths are often laid at war memorials. In remembrance poppy is based. Australia and New Zealand, they are also worn onAnzac Day. The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has caused some controversy, with some—including British Army veterans—arguing that it has become excessive, is being used to marshal support behind British military campaigns, and that public figures are pressured to wear poppies. Contents Origins Usage Canada Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Elsewhere Other designs and purposes White poppies Purple poppies Protests and controversy In the media In sport See also References External links Origins The remembrance poppy was inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields". Its opening lines refer to the many poppies that were the first flowers to grow in the churned-up earth of soldiers' graves in Flanders, a region of Belgium.[2] It is written from the point of view of the dead soldiers and, in the last verse, they call on the living to continue the conflict.[3] The poem was written by Canadian physician, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, on 3 May 1915 after witnessing the death of his friend, a fellow soldier, the day before. The poem was first published on 8 December 1915 in the London-based magazine Punch. In 1918, Moina Michael, who had taken leave from her professorship at the University of Georgia to be a volunteer worker for the American YWCA, was inspired by the poem and published a poem of her own called "We Shall Keep the Faith".[4] In tribute to McCrae's poem, she vowed to always wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who fought and helped in the war.[2] At a November 1918 YWCA Overseas War Moina Michael on a 1948 U.S. Secretaries' conference, she appeared with a silk poppy pinned to her coat and commemorative stamp distributed 25 more to those attending. She then campaigned to have the poppy adopted as a national symbol of remembrance. At a conference in 1920, the National American Legion adopted it as their official symbol of remembrance.[2] At this conference, Frenchwoman Anna E. Guérin was inspired to introduce the artificial poppies commonly used today. In 1921 she sent her poppy sellers to London, where the symbol was adopted by Field Marshal Douglas Haig, a founder of the Royal British Legion. It was also adopted by veterans' groups in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.[2] James Fox notes that all of the countries who adopted the remembrance poppy were the "victors" of World War I.[3] Usage Today, remembrance poppies are mostly used in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand—countries which were formerly part of the British Empire—to commemorate their servicemen and women killed in all conflicts. They are used to a lesser extent in the United States. Canada In Canada, the poppy is the official symbol of remembrance worn during the two weeks before 11 November, having been adopted in 1921. The Royal Canadian Legion, which has trademarked the image,[5] suggests that poppies be worn on the left lapel, or as near the heart as possible.[6] Until 1996, poppies were made by disabled veterans in Canada, but they have since been made by a private Canadian poppies contractor.[7] The Canadian poppies consist of two pieces of moulded plastic covered with flocking with a pin to fasten them to clothing. At first the poppies were made with a black centre. From 1980 to 2002, the centres were changed to green. Current designs are black only; this change caused confusion and controversy to those unfamiliar with the original design.[8] In 2007, sticker versions of the poppy were made for children, the elderly, and healthcare and food industry workers.[9] Canada also issues a cast metal "Canada Remembers" pin featuring a gold maple leaf and two poppies, one representing the fallen and the other representing those who remained on thehome front.[10] Following the installation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa in 2000, where the national Remembrance service is held, a new tradition formed spontaneously as attendees laid their poppies on the tomb at the end of the service. This tradition, while not part of the official program, has become widely practised elsewhere in the country, with others leaving cut flowers, photographs, or letters to the deceased. Since joining Canada in 1949, the remembrance poppy and Armistice Day commemorations have largely displaced Newfoundland's own commemorative floral emblem, the forget-me-not, and its own Memorial Day held on 1 July. Although in recent years the forget-me-not has had somewhat of a resurgence in Newfoundland's military commemorations,[11][12] the remembrance poppy is more common. Australia In Australia, remembrance poppies have been used since 1921 to commemorate Australian soldiers who died in war. On Remembrance Day (11 November) and Anzac Day (25 April) they are laid at war memorials, and are sold by the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) in return for donations.[13] New Zealand In New Zealand, remembrance poppies are most often worn on Anzac Day (25 April) to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died in war. They are also worn on Remembrance Day, and are sold by the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association (RSA) in return for donations. The RSA planned to hold its first Poppy Day appeal around the time of Armistice Day 1921, as other countries were doing. However, the ship carrying the poppies from France arrived in New Zealand too late, and so the association waited until Anzac Day 1922. This first Poppy Day appeal was a success. Most of the money raised went to needy soldiers and their families, while the rest went to the French Children's League to help relieve suffering in war-ravaged areas of northern France. The popularity of Poppy Day grew and there were record collections during the Second New Zealand remembrance World War. By 1945, 750,000 poppies were being distributed nationwide, which equated poppy to half the population.[14] United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, remembrance poppies are sold by The Royal British Legion (RBL). This is a charity providing financial, social, political and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants. They are sold on the streets by volunteers in the weeks before Remembrance Day. The remembrance poppy is the trademark of The Royal British Legion.[15][16][17] The RBL state, "The red poppy is our registered mark and its only lawful use is to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal";[18] its yearly fundraising drive in the weeks before Remembrance Day. The RBL says these poppies are "worn to commemorate the sacrifices of our Armed Forces and to show support to those still serving today".[19] Other poppy merchandise is sold throughout the year [20] as part of the ongoing fundraising. Royal British Legion poppy In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the poppies typically have two red paper petals mounted on a green plastic stem with a single green paper leaf and a prominent black plastic central boss. The stem has an additional branch used to anchor the poppy via a pin in the lapel or buttonhole. In Scotland, the poppies are curled and have four petals with no leaf. The yearly selling of poppies is a major source of income for the RBL in the UK. The poppy has no fixed price; it is sold for a donation or the price may be suggested by the seller. The black plastic center of the poppy was marked "Haig Fund" until 1994 but is now marked "Poppy Appeal".[21] A team of about 50 people—most of them disabled former British military personnel A volunteer makes poppies at the —work all year round to make millions of poppies at the Poppy Factory in Royal British Legion Poppy Factory [22] Richmond. Scottish poppies are made in the Lady Haig's Poppy Factory in in London, where over 30 million Edinburgh. poppies are made by a small team each year For many years after World War I, poppies were worn only on Remembrance Day itself.[23] However, today the RBL's "Poppy Appeal" has a higher profile than any other charity appeal in the UK.[23] The poppies are widespread from late October until mid-November every year and are worn by the general public, politicians, the Royal Family and other public figures. It has become common to see large poppies on buses, tube trains and aeroplanes as well as on lampposts, billboards, public buildings and landmarks. Many newspapers and magazines show a poppy on their [24] cover page, and some social network users add poppies to their avatars.