Red Poppies – Papaver rhoeas – are a part of the Poppy family: Papaveraceae. They are a flowering plant sometimes called an agricultural weed. But, on November 11th, since 1919, they represent and are the national symbol of sacrifice and remembrance. On November 11th, 1918, WWI ended. The next year the nation began celebrating Armistice Day, now known as Veterans Day.
Now Red Poppies are commonly named Veterans Day Poppies. Their symbol of war-time death is used to honor the sacrifice that the men and women of the armed forces have given to our nation.
The included poem was written by Canadian military surgeon Lt. Col. John McCrae. He wrote the poem after coming across these brilliant flowers on a bloody WWI battlefield – Flanders’ Field(s). This grand blossoming was able to occur when the 2nd Battle of Ypres was fought in West Flanders, Belgium. There were 17 days of battle. Through all of the commotion and due to the use of heavy artillery, the soil was uprooted and the Red Poppies that were once comatose bloomed with extravagance.
-Alex Larsen / BML