Remembrance Day Poppy (Nov. 11)

     Remembrance day, also known as Armistice day is celebrated November 11 of each year.  Originally this day was set aside to honor the soldiers who died in WWI in the European campaigns.  The poem "In Flanders Fields"  describes some of the worst fighting in Europe.  The end of WWI hostilities came on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the Treaty of Versailles was signed.  In America we honor living veterans on Veterans Day which coincides on November 11th.  Congress changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954.  A WWII veteran petitioned Congress to have a day to honor all Veterans.  His name was Raymond Weeks.  He hosted the first Veterans day celebration and continued to hold an annual celebration until he passed in 1985.




     This poem made the pinning of the poppies a tradition for years.  The bright red poppies that grew wild in the fields where the hardest fighting had taken place bloomed every year.  For four consecutive years the flowers were so trampled by the fighting that they could not bloom.  When they were able to return to blooming we are told that there were more blooms than anyone had ever seen.  They were first used by the American Legion and then the tradition spread across the world.  The poppy symbolized the soldiers memory of war and the blood covered fields.

  

http://www.americanmeadows.com/the-red-poppy

     This link will take you to an online store that you can buy poppy seeds.  It also explains the difference in different kinds of poppies.  They are native to Europe and North Africa, but I'm sure you could get some started here.
     I can remember as a child different organizations selling felt or paper poppies to wear on your lapel. These ladies would be outside of the grocery store with their table selling all the paper and felt flowers they had made.  We would always purchase some and proudly wear them on Veterans Day.  Wouldn't it be to get this tradition started again.  On Tuesday November 11 we could all wear our poppies.

This is a picture of a felt red poppy.  If you look on Google or Pinterest I'm sure there are numerous tips on how to make these.

     This year on Veterans Day let us all take a moment to honor these men and women who fought for our freedom. Shake someone's hand and tell them Thank You.  Also, take a few minutes to learn about the meaning behind this day.
Sherry