Why Poppies are Worn for Remembrance in the UK
Each year, people across the UK wear poppies to honour those who lost their lives in two world wars and other conflicts. These bright red flowers are especially common during Remembrance events surrounding Armistice Day on 11 November and Remembrance Sunday. Two major campaigns, led by the Royal British Legion and PoppyScotland, use funds raised from poppy sales to support current and former members of the armed forces and their families.
The tradition of wearing poppies began after World War One, but it has grown to symbolise remembrance for all who gave their lives in war.
Don’t cry when you watch the advert for Sainsbury’s with the Royal British Legion below. It is based on real events more than 100 years ago. It’s really very good.
Why Do We Wear Poppies?
The tradition traces back to 1915, during the First World War, when Canadian doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the famous poem In Flanders Fields. The poem describes the fragile red poppies that bloomed across the battlefields in Ypres, Belgium, where over a million soldiers lost their lives between 1914 and 1918. This imagery of poppies growing among the graves became a powerful reminder of the war’s devastation.
The poppy idea was popularised by Anna Guérin, a French teacher and fundraiser, who started selling them in September 1919 as a way to raise funds for war efforts. She advocated for the poppy to become an official emblem of remembrance. In 1921, the Royal British Legion in the UK ordered one million poppies from her, along with an additional eight million to be manufactured in Britain. These first poppies were made of silk and sold on 11 November 1921, marking the first Poppy Appeal.
Over the years, the tradition has evolved, and in 2023, the Royal British Legion introduced fully recyclable paper poppies to replace the silk versions.
In Flanders Fields
BY JOHN MCCRAE
Poppy Traditions in Scotland
In Scotland, the poppy tradition took on a slightly different form. In 1926, Lady Haig opened Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, where veterans were employed to create poppies from tissue paper. This factory still produces the poppies for Poppy Scotland’s annual Poppy Appeal.
The Scottish poppy design differs slightly from those used in England and Wales. The Scottish poppy has four-lobed petals and no green leaf, while poppies worn in England and Wales have two-lobed petals with a green leaf.
This simple red flower has become a powerful emblem of remembrance across the UK, symbolising respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in wars past and present.
I recommend watching this well-put-together documentary about poppies. Press play below.
Comprehension Check
What does wearing a poppy symbolise in the UK?
Who wrote the famous poem that helped inspire the use of poppies as a remembrance symbol?
Which two organisations manage the poppy campaigns in the UK and Scotland?
What materials were used in the first poppies, and what are they made from today?
How does the design of the Scottish poppy differ from those worn in England and Wales?
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