Memorial Day is a holiday to remember and honor those men and women who gave their lives while serving our country in the Armed Forces. The poppy seemed to flourish in Europe after World War I, out of the rubble of war. The red poppy is a symbol for the blood shed by soldiers during war. The American Legion made the poppy their official flower in 1920 and in 1924 the American Legion began distributing poppies to honor the fallen and support the living who have served in the military.