In bygone days poppy seed was blessed in Ukraine and sprinkled over people and livestock because it was believed that the poppy has magical powers which acted as protection against all evil. Moreover, people used to believe that a field after the battle would be covered with poppies in the springtime. The delicate, shimmering flower is invested with the unspoiled memory of a generation. In families where someone had perished, girls used to embroider images of poppies on shirts with love and sorrow and would place on their heads wreaths made of seven poppies with the aim of preserving and continuing the family.
