Red poppy flowers have been a long-standing visual symbol of remembrance for Canadians so as to never forget soldiers that have fallen in battle.
But, its origins have been around much longer than many realize.
The association of poppies with fallen soldiers has been around since the 19th-century Napoleonic Wars – more than a hundred years before Canadians started wearing the flowers.
Get breaking National news
For Canadians, the poppy became a symbol after Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae’s famous 1915 poem noted how thickly poppies grew over the graves of WWI soldiers in Flanders, Belgium.
Poppies were first made and sold in 1921 by disabled war veterans, in order to provide a small income for the veterans and their dependents.
According to the Royal Canadian Legion, these are the key points to note about poppy etiquette:
• Wear poppies over your heart (on your left)
• Poppies are to be worn only between the last Friday in October and sunset on November 11
• It is acceptable to replace the pin in your poppy with a Canadian flag
• After Remembrance Day, poppies should be attached to a wreath or stored at home
• There are no rules for displaying poppies in your home
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.