nationwide Poppy Day in May 1921, using silk poppies made by widows and children from the devastated regions of France.Īlthough the Legion adopted the poppy in 1920, its third national convention in October 1921 rejected it in favor of the daisy as its official flower. Madame Guérin successfully organized the first U.S. On September 27, 1920, the poppy became the official flower of The American Legion family. She helped convince Legion members to adopt the poppy and to join her in celebrating Poppy Day the following May. In 1920, she was invited to The American Legion convention in Cleveland, Ohio, to speak about her idea for an “Inter-Allied Poppy Day” to raise funds for veterans, widows, orphans, and charities. In France, Anna Guérin also championed the symbolism of the red poppy. As a result of her years of tireless efforts, Moina became known affectionately as “The Poppy Lady.” She worked with others trying to do the same in Canada, Australia, and the U.K. She campaigned to get it adopted across the United States. But Moina sought to create a national symbol for remembrance. (Photo: American Legion)īy Armistice Day 1921, millions of silk poppies, eventually manufactured by disabled veterans, were sold across the United States and England to help Great War veterans find housing and jobs. After the war ended, she came up with the idea of making and selling red silk poppies to raise money to support returning veterans. She was so moved that she made a personal pledge and hastily scribbled a response entitled “We Shall Keep the Faith.” From that day, she vowed to wear a red poppy as a sign of remembrance. One person inspired by the poem was Moina Michael, an American teacher, who came across it in the Ladies’ Home Journal just two days before the armistice. ![]() At any rate, it was only after the poem’s publication in Punch magazine in late 1915 that the poppy gained prominence as an international symbol of remembrance. ![]() Several anonymous documents written during the Napoleonic wars note the abundance of poppies on battlefields, drawing a comparison between the color of the flowers and the blood split there. Through the poem, the red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed during battle, although that symbol may predate the First World War. LCol McCrae was inspired by the thousands of bright red flowers that grew across the otherwise bleak, battle-scarred landscape. Many have heard or read the poem “In Flanders Field.” It was written in 1915 by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian doctor on the front lines of World War I, after losing a friend in Ypres, Belgium, an area traditionally called Flanders. But the day also is one of remembrance, honoring the sacrifice of those who, to quote President Abraham Lincoln, “…gave the last full measure of devotion…” And a well-known symbol of this remembrance is the red poppy. Support Good News Journalism, Subscribe >Īlexandria, VA – Memorial Day generally marks the unofficial beginning of summer, with gatherings of family and friends, picnics, and other outdoor activities.
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