Church Display Explores Meanings of Multi-Colored Poppies

An exhibit of poppies, located within a church on Bodmin Moor, showcases the symbolic meanings behind the red, white, purple, and black flowers, which honor individuals who participated in or perished in conflicts, as well as those who advocated for peace. For this exhibit at St Breward Church, volunteers dedicated over 17 months to creating more than 1,000 knitted poppies and approximately 23m (75ft) of simulated barbed wire. The organizers stated that, in addition to the customary red poppy, the black poppy serves to honor all African, black peoples, West Indian, Caribbean, Pacific islands, and indigenous communities. They further explained that the purple poppy commemorates all animals that participated in conflicts, while the white poppy acknowledges individuals who championed peace, such as conscientious objectors. Sara Burrows, who knitted some 900 of the creations for the display, stated: “I’d always wanted to do a bit of yarn bombing and I noticed other poppy displays around the county.””I wanted to do something for our village and it was my way of contributing to show all four poppies and the stories behind them.”