From the last Friday in October to Remembrance Day, millions of Canadians wear a Poppy as a visual pledge to never forget those who served and sacrificed. The red flower is also the symbol of the Legion's Poppy Campaign, raising funds to support Veterans and their families in need.
The Legion’s lapel Poppy is a sacred symbol of Remembrance and should not be affixed with a pin that obstructs the Poppy. The Poppy should be worn on the left side, over the heart.
When a Poppy is removed, it should be stored appropriately, or disposed of respectfully. It is encouraged that anyone who finds a Poppy that has fallen to the ground to pick it up, brush it off, wear it or dispose of it with respect.
The significance of the Poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, over 110 years before being adopted in Canada. Records from that time indicate that thick Poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in Flanders, France. Fields that had been barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.
The person who first introduced the Poppy to Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War. John McCrae penned the Poem “In Flanders Fields” on a scrap of paper in May 1915 on the day following the death of a fellow soldier. Little did he know then that those 13 lines would become enshrined in the hearts and minds of all who would wear them. McCrae’s poem was published in Punch Magazine in December of that same year.
So many years later, his poem continues to poignantly express the tragedy of the losses of war and the importance of carrying on their memories.
The idea for the Remembrance Poppy was imagined by Madame Anna Guérin of France. She was inspired by John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.” Anna had originally founded a charity to help rebuild regions of France after the First World War and created poppies made of fabric to raise funds. Later, Anna presented her concept to France’s allies including the precursor to The Royal Canadian Legion, The Great War Veterans Association. The idea was considered at a meeting in Port Arthur, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) and was adopted on July 6, 1921.
In Flanders Fields
by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
May 3, 1915
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.
The Poppy is worn each year during the Remembrance period to honour Canada's Fallen. The Legion also encourages the wearing of a Poppy for the funeral of a Veteran and for any commemorative event honouring Fallen Veterans. Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear the Legion’s lapel Poppy each November, the little red flower has never died, and the memories of those who fell in battle remain strong.
