Poppy Facts

The poppy was first adopted as a symbol of remembrance in 1920 by the National American Legion.

Poppies were then used by The Royal British Legion in 1921
and poppies began being sold in the streets of London. The funds raised went to war veterans and those serving in the British Legion.

Over 30 million poppies are made each year by volunteers.

In 2011, 6,000 poppies were dropped over the Somerset town of Yeovil by a Second World War plane.

Canada also uses the poppy as a symbol
of remembrance, but they are made entirely
of plastic, rather than paper.

The poppy comes in other colours
than red, each with a different meaning: White – a pacifist alternative; Purple – to remember the animal victims of war.

888,246 ceramic poppies filled the moat of the Tower of London in Paul Cummins’ artwork Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red. The piece was made to commemorate the centenary
of the outbreak of WWI