What does wearing a poppy mean?

Wearing a red poppy in Australia signals remembrance for the men and women who died in war, particularly those who fell in the First World War. The poppy is most commonly worn on Remembrance Day on 11 November and at ANZAC Day services on 25 April, pinned to the lapel or jacket above the heart.

The symbol comes from the poppies that bloomed across the battlefields of Flanders and northern France after the First World War, especially in the disturbed soil of cemeteries and shell craters. The Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem 'In Flanders Fields' in 1915 after the death of a friend at Ypres, and the image of the poppy as a flower of remembrance entered Allied culture from there. The American writer Moina Michael and French humanitarian Anna Guerin championed the wearing of poppies after the war as a way to support veterans and the bereaved.

In Australia, the Returned and Services League (RSL) runs the annual Poppy Appeal, selling cloth and paper poppies in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day. Funds raised support veterans, their widows, and their families, and pay for welfare and advocacy services delivered through RSL clubs and offices across the country. Poppies are also laid individually at war graves and memorials, slotted into the names engraved on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Different colours of poppy carry different meanings. The red poppy is the most common and remembers all who died in war. White poppies, promoted by some peace organisations, signal a commitment to non-violence. Purple poppies remember animals who served in war, including the horses of the Australian Light Horse and the dogs and donkeys used in field operations. Black poppies recognise the contributions of African, Caribbean, and Pacific service personnel, including Indigenous Australian soldiers.