This Memorial Day, the Excel Marketing Team would like to honor and remember our nation’s heroes. Let’s use today and every day to count our blessings and stand proud.
Red Poppies and Memorial Day Traditions
Traditionally Memorial Day is viewed as a time of honor and remembrance for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Throughout the United States, it is common to visit cemeteries, particularly military ones, and decorate the graves of the deceased with flowers, small flags, and wreaths.
Additionally, many folks wear or display red poppies. Red poppies became a symbol of Memorial Day in a famous poem written by Canadian John McCrae. The poem is known as ‘In Flander’s Fields‘. In the poem, the red poppies represent fallen soldiers. Since then, Moina Michael conceived an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war.
In Flanders Fields
BY JOHN MCCRAE
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
