Poppy Day

By Teach

Today is Poppy Day in New Zealand and Australia.

Both countries have a public holiday on the 25th of April called ANZAC Day. Poppy Day is the Friday before ANZAC Day and it is the day when people sell red paper poppies to raise money for war veterans. New Zealanders and Australians buy the poppies to wear to remember and honour members of the army, navy and airforce who died fighting for their country.

The red poppy has been used by many countries as a symbol to remember their war veterans since World War I (the Great War). A Canadian officer, John McCrae, wrote about red poppies in his poem 'In Flanders Fields'. The poem was about remembering the deaths of everyday people, just like you and me, who fought in the war. McRae wrote the poem after leading the funeral of his friend who had died fighting in Flanders where the red poppy covered whole fields. It was the first flower to grow in the mud of the battlefields after battle. After reading the poem, efforts by American Moina Michael led to the American Legion deciding to use the red poppy as a symbol to remember veterans who served and died. The idea snowballed and many countries like New Zealand and Australia decided to use the red poppy as well.

Red poppies are sold in New Zealand by the Returned Services Association (the R.S.A). The R.S.A was formed in New Zealand in 1916 by returning service (armed forces) members during World War One to provide support and comfort for service men and women and their families. All the money that is raised from selling red poppies (over half of New Zealand adults buy a poppy) is used for the goal of supporting service men and women and their families. People are asked to pay a donation for the poppies, there is no set price. New Zealanders paid $1.7 million for the poppies we bought last year. Not bad for a total population of 4.4 million people.

Wearing a red poppy on ANZAC Day is such a simple way to honour the memory of the service men and women who have died for New Zealand.

2012