I have a thing for Poppies. I love them. I love what they symbolize, I love that I can grow them, and I think that they’re one of the prettiest flowers out there. I also love how they blossom on the lapels of Canadians for 2 weeks before Remembrance Day. With Remembrance day being less than 2 weeks away, I thought I’d post some fun facts and figures about our symbol of Remembrance (Source: Legion.ca)
- As I mentioned in my post on Remembrance, 18 Million poppies are distributed annually.
- There is NO COST for a Poppy. They are freely given. If you wish to make a donation towards the Poppy campaign, that is strongly encouraged.
- There is no “set period” for when Poppies can be worn, though traditionally they are worn for the 2 weeks prior to Remembrance day and the official kick off to each year’s Poppy campaign is the last Friday in October. Poppies are also traditionally worn at Commemorative Services such as National Peacekeepers’ Day, The Battle of the Atlantic, The Battle of Britain, and at funeral services for Veterans.
- While you can attach your Poppy however you wish, the Legion does not promote using any other pin through the centre of the Poppy (even if it is a Canadian flag or the ceramic Poppy pin that you buy at the Legion) In the words of Legion Canadian Command though their FAQs: “It is the position of the Legion that the Poppy is the sacred symbol of Remembrance and should not be defaced in any way. No other pin, therefore, should be used to attach it to clothing.” That said, if it’s a choice between wearing a Poppy with a pin through the centre or no Poppy at all; Wear the Poppy!
- To keep your Poppy on your coat or shirt, use a plastic earring back (you can get a package of 50-100 at a dollar store) or a piece of eraser on the pin. You can also double the pin back but then you risk stabbing yourself.
- Poppies should be worn on the left side – closest to the heart.
- Poppy centres in Canada were originally black, then changed to green to represent the fields where Poppies grow. In 2002, the Legion changed the centre back to black as that is what a true poppy looks like.
- Proceeds from the Poppy Campaign are held in trust (separate from Legion funds) to be used to help Veterans, their families and to help promote Remembrance.
Please wear your Poppy with pride and remember the sacrifices made by our veterans.
A Remembrance Day Craft Idea: Poppies made with love
Last, but not least, I have a craft that I’ve used with my Brownies, Guides, and Sunday School kids in the past to help promote Remembrance. It’s a Poppy made out of love. I was trying to figure out how to make an easy Poppy craft and thought that hearts looked a lot like the petals of a Poppy. I also really liked the symbolism of the hearts and the Poppies together.
Supplies: Red paper, black paper (you can also use red and black foam either precut or not), scissors, glue (glue sticks work well if you are using paper, white glue if you use foam), safety pins
Optional: heart punch, Cricut machine (Especially if you are trying to cut out enough hearts for 50 kids!)
Step 1: Cut 4 hearts out of red paper (If you’re one of those people who can plan things in advance, you can use foam hearts from the dollar store purchased around Valentine’s Day)
If you are using a Circuit Machine, my poppies were made using the basic heart from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge on the 1 1/2 inch setting or the 1 inch setting and the circles are either the smallest circle on the smallest setting or the inside of the charm circle on the smallest setting.
Step 2 Cut a small circle out of the black paper. This will be the centre of the Poppy so adjust sizes according to the size of the hearts.
Step 3: Apply glue on the black circle.
Step 4: Attach hearts to the black circle The can either be touching or spread out a bit. It’s really up to you.
Step 5. Allow to dry for at least 5 minutes.
Step 6. Attach a safety pin to the Poppy.
Voila you have a poppy made from love. It’s a quick and easy craft – the hardest part is the prep work!