In November each year many people wear bright red paper poppies. What are the poppies for? And why November?
Why are these poppies so special?
The First World War finally ended after four long and bloody years of fighting, on November 11 1918. The guns stopped on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Millions of people were killed in the war and millions more were injured. In the years since 1918, even more people have died in wars around the world including, of course, World War Two.
November 11 was chosen back in 1919 as the special day each year when we would all think about and remember those who had died. To this day, almost 100 years later, at 11am on November 11 many people across Britain stay silent for two minutes to think about those who died.
At first, November 11 was known as Armistice Day because 'armistice' is the word used for an agreement between enemies to stop fighting. These days it is more usually called Remembrance Day or Poppy Day.
Millions of people were killed in the war and millions more were injured. In the years since 1918, even more people have died in wars around the world including, of course, World War Two.
November 11 was chosen back in 1919 as the special day each year when we would all think about and remember those who had died. To this day, almost 100 years later, at 11am on November 11 many people across Britain stay silent for two minutes to think about those who died.
At first, November 11 was known as Armistice Day because 'armistice' is the word used for an agreement between enemies to stop fighting. These days it is more usually called Remembrance Day or Poppy Day.
So, we know why November 11 is special, but why poppies?
The story begins back in 1915, during World War One…
A doctor called John McCrea, who was working to help soldiers in France, wrote a poem in 1915 about the poppies growing on the graves of dead soldiers. The beginning of the poem goes –
'In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row...'
The story begins back in 1915, during World War One…
A doctor called John McCrea, who was working to help soldiers in France, wrote a poem in 1915 about the poppies growing on the graves of dead soldiers. The beginning of the poem goes –
'In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row...'
These poppies are growing wild at Gallipoli, scene of an awful battle in 1915.
Source:
http://www.show.me.uk/site/news/STO521.html
