From its association with the poppies flowering in the spring of 1915 on the battlefields of Belgium, France, and Gallipoli this vivid red flower has become synonymous with great loss of life in war. We are proud to provide high-quality gear to military and civilians alike.This is the story of how the red field poppy became the international symbol of Remembrance. Source Tactical Gear honors all militaries around the world and specifically their fallen soldiers, and thanks them for their service. All over the world the red poppy flower symbolizes remembrance for the fallen soldiers and will continue for generations to come. Since World War 1 and McCrae’s poem of the flowers, the significance is still felt a century later. From sleep to peace to death, the red poppy flower is a beautiful symbol of remembrance worldwide. The red poppy flower is much more than a wildflower. In America, November 11th is formally known as Veterans day which honors all living veterans whereas Memorial Day is to honor the sacrifice of the men and women who have given their lives fighting for the United States. On the contrary, in the United States the tradition has developed differently as Americans wear the red poppy on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. Millions of people worldwide from the United Kingdom to Canada to New Zealand wear the flower every November 11th to commemorate the anniversary of the 1918 armistice, also known as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. Even a century after World War 1 ended, people still continue to use the red poppy flower as a symbol for remembrance. Today, the remembrance poppy has become one of the world’s most recognized memorial symbols for fallen soldiers. After the conclusion of World War 1 in 1918, Moina Michael wrote a response poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith”, that officially declared that red poppy flowers would be a year-round honor for the soldiers who had died in combat. In this poem, McCrae referred to the red poppies that grew over the graves of the fallen soldiers and started the remembrance symbolism of the red poppy flowers. McCrae was a poet and soldier during World War 1 and is best known for his war memorial poem “In Flanders Fields”. Red poppies flowers strongly became a symbol of remembrance because of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae and American professor Moina Michael. Poppies are significant because of cultural interpretation that these flowers promise resurrection. Once the world war was over, one of the only plants to regrow were red poppy flowers. Again in 1914, the fields of Northern France broke out in fighting as World War 1 began.
Poppies then became a symbol of hope and peace with an underlying meaning that the sacrifice of soldier’s lives were for the greater good. Shortly after, red poppy flowers magically grew around the bodies of the fallen soldiers. How did the Poppy Flower become a symbol of remembrance for militaryĪfter the Napoleonic wars in the early 19th century, the land was destroyed as it was left desolate, arid and infertile. Additionally, poppies are used as a symbol around the world to remember those who died in military service. Since ancient times, poppies placed on tombstones represent eternal sleep. Likewise, the poppy is a common symbol that has been used to represent everything from peace to death and even simply sleep. Red poppy flowers represent consolation, remembrance and death. Red Poppy Flower Meaning – What Does The Poppy Represent This small flower ranges from 12 to 14 inches and 2 to 3 inches wide.
The red poppy is native to most of Eurasia and North Africa, but today is best known for its presence in Central Europe. The red poppy flower, also known as the Papaver somniferum, is one of the world’s most popular wildflowers. Why The Red Poppy Flower Is Used For Military Remembrances What is a Red Poppy Flower?