by Christopher Knight

Created on: November 07, 2009

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely signing, fly

Scarce heard beneath the guns below

So John McCrae's poem, "In Flanders Fields," begins. Due in large part to this poem, the poppy came to symbolize remembering the fallen soldiers and civilians of past wars. On the 11thhour of the 11th day of November in 1918, World War I was officially declared over. Remembrance Day, which used to be called Armistice Day, is a day in recognition not just for the end of WWI but a day to remember all of the lost and fallen heroes both military and civilian. It is a day to recognize that freedom does not come without cost. The poem, "In Flanders Fields," was written after the author attended a burial ceremony for a Lieutenant killed in the First World War.

Flanders is an area in the Dutch country where battlefields and cemeteries mark some of the hardest fought battles in WWI. Poppies grow throughout this area, in and around the still visible trenches and around the graves. The poppy was deemed an appropriate symbol for its color as a reminder of the bloodshed of the wars and the flower itself was found on the battlefields in Flanders. In 1919, an American War Secretaries employee, Moina Michael, made 25 silk poppies for representatives to wear while attending a YMCA conference and she worked for and succeeded in making the poppy the national symbol of remembrance. The following year, a Frenchwoman named Anna Guerin introduced the artificial poppies that have become so widely used even today. It has become tradition to wear an artificial poppy throughout the week leading up to November 11th. The artificial poppies can be purchased in many places in early November.

While there are slight differences from country to country in the observance of Remembrance Day, many countries have two minutes of silence at the eleven o'clock hour. In many countries parades are held and schools hold assemblies to honor veterans. Several organizations take part every year in Remembrance Day Ceremonies. One such organization is the British Royal Legion. The Legion is dedicated to helping veterans and they sell the artificial poppies. The poppy still holds the symbolism that it has since the first Remembrance Day. It is a symbol that shows that we have not forgotten the men and women that died for our countries in war. One cannot appreciate the future if you do not remember the past.

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