Since I was a child I always liked to see a scarlet poppy field, and they're are pretty common where I live, it worth tons of photos!!
Today I learned...
The poppy (Papaver rhoeas) has a long association with Remembrance Day because it's one of the first wildflowers to colonise disturbed earth ground. It became associated with the battle zones of the First World War, or Flanders Fields, wich land was transformed into fields of blood red poppies, growing around the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
The significance of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance of past sacrifices was realised by the Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae in his 'In Flander’s Fields' poem. It was supposedly written after presiding over the funeral of a friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died on the 2 May, 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres. It was written in memory of his friend, representing the immeasurable sacrifice made by his comrades. Quickly, scarlet poppies became a lasting memorial to those who died in World War One and later conflicts.
You can see other curiosities about poppies here - 14 fascinating facts about poppies
BADGES Courtesy of @elyaque