White Poppies of Peace

White Poppies of Peace: Remembering the Victims of War

You can learn about the history of white poppies of peace on the Peace Pledge Union White Poppy page which says that the white poppy remembers all victims of war including the forces and civilians.

[White poppies] represent remembrance for all victims of war, a commitment to peace and a challenge to attempts to glamorise or celebrate war

Recently, though, some schools and teachers have been criticised by those who don’t agree with the white poppy, calling it a “left wing symbol” and a recent article in The Telegraph Education section quotes “Col Richard Kemp said that state schools should not be spending taxpayer money on promoting white poppies to pupils”. So personally, I was a little shocked to see an email from our eldest’s school promoting the red poppies this year due to this debate. If you have children at school, are they supporting one or the other (or both)?

Other Colours of Poppies

As well as red and white poppies, there is also the black poppy, in association with BlackPoppyRose and the purple poppy. See this BBC video for more info.

Wearing White Poppies of Peace

You can buy white poppies from the PPU or you can make your own. Here’s a lovely little Kindle book that teaches you how to crochet flowers, if you have the basic skills, and some eco friendly plant-based hooks and yarns

You could even buy red and white to make poppies for all of your friends and family. Please see our Environment and Ethics page for more ideas on using sustainable plant-based resources in your crafts and subscribe for more crafty blogs!

white poppies of peace Tree of Opals Pinterest image
white poppies of peace blog by Tree of Opals looking at poppies’ history and use in schools in the UK today

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