Why
was the poppy chosen as the symbol of remembrance for
Canada's war dead?
The poppy, an international symbol for those who died in
war, also had international origins.
A writer first made the connection between the poppy and
battlefield deaths during the Napoleonic wars of the
early 19th century, remarking that fields that were
barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers
after the fighting ended.
Prior to the First World War few poppies grew in
Flanders. During the tremendous bombardments of that war
the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble,
allowing 'popaver rhoeas' to thrive. When the war ended
the lime was quickly absorbed, and the poppy began to
disappear again.
Lieut-Col. John McCrae, the Canadian doctor who wrote
the poem
IN
FLANDERS FIELDS, made the same connection 100
years later, during the First World War, and the scarlet
poppy quickly became the symbol for soldiers who died in
battle.
Today, fields of brilliant poppies still grow in France.
Three years later an American, Moina Michael, was
working in a New York City YMCA canteen when she started
wearing a poppy in memory of the millions who died on
the battlefield. During a 1920 visit to the United
States a French woman, Madame Guerin, learned of the
custom. On her return to France she decided to use
handmade poppies to raise money for the destitute
children in war-torn areas of the country. In November
1921, the first poppies were distributed in Canada.
Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear poppies
each November, use of the little red flower has never
died. And neither have Canadian's memories for 116,031
of their countrymen who died in battle.
On November 11 of each year, the Royal Canadian Legion
holds memorial services across Canada to honour the
Canadian soldiers who died in the two World Wars, the
Korean war or the peacekeeping missions. This date
represents the armistice of the first World War.
Many Canadians believe that the most important role of
the Legion is to maintain the tradition of Remembrance
Day. The Legion’s Remembrance Day programs allow us to
honour all the men and women who served and died in
military service in the two World Wars, the Korean war
as well as the peacekeeping missions. Every year, there
are thousands of dollars and voluntary hours committed
to carry out the Remembrance Day programs and
activities.
The Poppy and Remembrance Day Campaign takes place every
November just prior to Remembrance Day. The campaign aim
is to raise awareness of the poppy as a symbol of
Remembrance Day.
Proceeds from this campaign support veterans, ex-service
members and their families who are in need. Since
adopted, the poppy has become one of the most widely
recognized symbols in Canada.
Every year, the Legion also organises a national poster
and essay contest in schools. The goal of this activity
is to try to make the youth understand what the nearly
116,000 men and women who died in battle or peacekeeping
missions have done for us.
Every second summer, the Legion organizes a pilgrimage
for youth leaders to Canadians’ memorials in Europe. The
Legion also supports the Canadian War Museum and other
military museums in Canada.
The challenge facing the Legion today is to convince
young people and future generations of the need to
remember those who have died in the wars to give us
peace. The majority of Canadians don’t recognize the
horror of the wars because they have never been exposed
to it apart from what is seen on the media. |
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