Created 14-Mar-24
Every year on Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day, many of us wear the famous Dam HaMaccabim sticker; the connection between the flower and the occasion was made in the early days of the state.
The days were the days of the Maccabean Revolt, and the battles were brutal. The Maccabees fought fiercely, but many of them fell in battle. And, according to legend, wherever a Maccabi warrior’s blood spilled, a small flower instantaneously sprang up and bloomed, its color the color of blood. This is how the flower in question, received its Hebrew name: Dam HaMaccabim (literally “Blood of the Maccabees”; Helichrysum sanguineum, otherwise known as “red everlasting”). With spring now upon us, Dam HaMaccibim can be seen blooming across the Land of Israel, from the north to the south.
“Blood of the Maccabees: How a Little Red Flower Became the Symbol of Israel’s Memorial Day” Amit Naor, The Librarians, 27.04.2020 https://blog.nli.org.il/en/hoi_blood-of-the-maccabees/ .
Look for the distinctive Dam Hamaccabim shot among the flowers.
The days were the days of the Maccabean Revolt, and the battles were brutal. The Maccabees fought fiercely, but many of them fell in battle. And, according to legend, wherever a Maccabi warrior’s blood spilled, a small flower instantaneously sprang up and bloomed, its color the color of blood. This is how the flower in question, received its Hebrew name: Dam HaMaccabim (literally “Blood of the Maccabees”; Helichrysum sanguineum, otherwise known as “red everlasting”). With spring now upon us, Dam HaMaccibim can be seen blooming across the Land of Israel, from the north to the south.
“Blood of the Maccabees: How a Little Red Flower Became the Symbol of Israel’s Memorial Day” Amit Naor, The Librarians, 27.04.2020 https://blog.nli.org.il/en/hoi_blood-of-the-maccabees/ .
Look for the distinctive Dam Hamaccabim shot among the flowers.
© 2024 Yosef Symonds