Americans Urged to Participate in National Poppy Day

With Memorial Day on the horizon, the American Legion Auxiliary encourages communities across the country to participate in National Poppy Day this Friday. Patriotic Americans are asked to wear or display a red poppy to honor the fallen and support the living veterans who have served in the U.S. military.

After World War I, the poppy flourished in Europe. Scientists attributed the growth to lime deposits left from the rubble of war. From the dirt and mud, the red poppy grew. It was popularized by the publication of the wartime poem In Flanders Fields, written by Lt. Col. John McCrae while serving on the front lines. In 1920, the red poppy was adopted by the American Legion Auxiliary as the official memorial flower.

The American Legion Auxiliary makes and distributes poppies each year for this solemn tradition of National Poppy Day.