Despite being synonymous with lighthearted fun like cookouts, Memorial Day is also a lot more than just that. Above all else, the federal holiday is about commemorating the millions of brave Americans who gave their lives defending the values our country was founded on. As John F. Kennedy said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them."
Over the past century, red poppies became a symbol to represent that ultimate sacrifice. As the holiday approaches, you'll notice these bright flowers everywhere: pinned onto clothing, tied onto rearview mirrors, or hanging in windows. Whether actual flowers are plucked for the occasion or a fabric or crepe paper version is used, the meaning of the red poppy remains clear: It symbolizes the memory of fallen soldiers.
Much like thoughtful Memorial Day quotes, poppies help keep our attention on the most important aspect of the holiday. But when did the red poppy became a national symbol of remembrance—and more interestingly, how did this particular bloom become the official Memorial Day flower in the first place? To explain, we'll have to rewind all the way back to the early 1900s.
Why do we wear poppies on Memorial Day?
There are so many lovely wildflowers that pop up across this beautiful country, so why the red poppy? These brilliant annuals are resilient little things—they can grow and thrive in the harshest, most unfriendly landscapes, including battlefields. According to The American Legion, the significance of this flower arose during the Great War. The once bucolic fields around Flanders, Belgium, had been decimated by the bombardments of battle. Yet amongst the rubble and bloodshed, these brilliant beauties were able to bloom.
Allied battle surgeon and poet Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was deeply moved when he saw the otherwise barren meadows blanketed in a brilliant display of color. It was the spring of 1915, just after a battle that resulted in the deaths of 87,000 Allied soldiers. McCrae responded to the sight by composing a poem on the spot, written from the perspective of those who had perished. The poem was published in Punch magazine later that year. It would later become one of the most famous works to emerge from the First World War.
On September 27, 1920, the first chapter of The American Legion made the poppy its official flower to memorialize those who fought and died. In 1922, the VFW began national distribution programs around the country to support the cause, and in 1924, The American Legion followed suit.
"In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae
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.
Who started the tradition of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day?
According to History.com, Americans owe the tradition of wearing a red poppy on Memorial Day to Moina Michael. She was a professor at the University of Georgia who was on a leave of absence and volunteering with the YWCA to workers overseas when she read McCrae's poem in Ladies’ Home Journal. In addition to writing her own response poem called “We Shall Keep Faith,” she vowed to wear a poppy as a symbol.
After the war ended, Michael began making fabric poppies to raise money to support veterans, eventually convincing Georgia’s American Legion to adopt the symbol in 1920. But it took another woman, Anna Guérin, to convince the rest of the Legion chapters to also adopt the poppy as their symbol the following year. She then helped spread the tradition throughout Europe.
What are the rules for wearing a poppy?
Wearing a poppy is really about remembrance, so there aren't strict rules on how to wear the flower in the United States. Oftentimes you will see someone wear it on their left-hand side, essentially over the heart. If you decide to wear one this year, try to keep it unobstructed and in view. Consider placing it on the lapel of a jacket or the breast pocket of a shirt. More than anything, the important part is that you're wearing one.
What's the symbolism of poppies in other countries?
In other countries, the timing differs slightly—and generally speaking, the poppy is arguably better known as a symbol of remembrance in other parts of the world. Citizens in the U.K., Canada, France, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand wear the red flowers on November 11 each year to commemorate the anniversary of the 1918 armistice (Remembrance Day).
Are poppies for Memorial Day or Veterans Day?
In the United States, poppies are worn only on Memorial Day in remembrance of the scores of men and women who have died fighting for our nation. There is another opportunity to wear them, though: National Poppy Day falls on the Friday before Memorial Day, and it's become popular to mark the occasion by wearing a poppy and donating to vital veterans' services.
Who gives out poppies on Memorial Day?
The VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and The American Legion still hand out poppies to this day. As part of the VFW's "Buddy Poppy" program, volunteers will offer poppies in exchange for donations to state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs. What's more, disabled and otherwise in-need veterans are paid for their work to assemble the poppies in VA hospitals around the country. You can learn more at the VFW's website.
Similarly, the American Legion Auxiliary leads their distribution efforts, requesting that a recipient donate to support the future of veterans as well as active-duty military personnel and their families. Donations help fund their medical and financial needs. To learn more about participating, you can head to The American Legion website.
AnnMarie Mattila is the Commerce Editor for The Pioneer Woman, covering products ranging from home, fashion, beauty, and more.
