Honour Remembrance Day with your permanent outdoor lights. Red, purple, and green poppy colour palettes, a free downloadable pattern, app setup guide, and respectful tribute ideas for November 11.
November 11 is one of the most meaningful days on the calendar for Canadians. Remembrance Day is a time to honour the men and women who served and sacrificed for our country. Lighting your home in the colours of remembrance is a simple, powerful way to show respect from the street without saying a word.
With a permanent outdoor LED lighting system, you can set a Remembrance Day light display in seconds. No ladder, no clips, no takedown. Just open the GOULY app, load the pattern, and let your home stand as a tribute from dusk until dawn.
This guide covers the best Remembrance Day outdoor light designs, the colour palettes that carry the right meaning, how to set them up in the GOULY app, and a free downloadable pattern you can scan and use right now.
For a quick look at how app controlled patterns work, explore our Designs page and the live GOULY app preview.
Why Remembrance Day lighting matters
Most homes go unlit on November 11. A red and purple glow on your roofline at dusk is the kind of tribute that neighbours notice, kids ask about, and veterans appreciate. It turns your home into a visible act of remembrance that the entire street can see.
Permanent outdoor LED lights with RGBW control let you set a Remembrance Day scene in seconds. The poppy red, purple, and green of the traditional remembrance poppy translate beautifully onto a roofline, and the effect after dark is striking.
The best part: you can schedule it to turn on automatically on November 10 and run through November 11, then transition back to your everyday look or move into your Christmas scene.
The meaning behind the colours
Every colour in the Remembrance Day palette carries significance:
- Red represents the poppy flower, the universal symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers. The red poppy has been worn on Remembrance Day since 1921, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields"
- Purple represents the animals that served and died alongside soldiers in wartime. The purple poppy honours the horses, dogs, pigeons, and other animals who gave their lives in service
- Green represents the stem and leaves of the poppy flower, grounding the display in the natural symbol of remembrance
Together, these colours form a complete poppy on your roofline. The repeating pattern of red, red, purple, green creates a powerful, recognizable tribute visible from the street.
Top Remembrance Day light colour palettes
1. Poppy tribute (our free pattern)
The signature Remembrance Day palette inspired by the poppy. Bold and unmistakable.
- Colours: Red, red, purple, green (repeating)
- Mode: Static
- Best for: Any roofline. The repeating pattern creates a strong visual rhythm
- App setup: Create a custom 4 colour repeating pattern at 80 to 90 percent brightness
2. Classic red and white
A simpler palette that honours the Canadian flag alongside remembrance.
- Colours: Red and white alternating
- Mode: Static alternating
- Best for: Homes that want a clean, patriotic look
- App setup: Two colour alternating pattern at 85 percent brightness
3. Candlelight vigil
A warm, solemn look inspired by candlelight memorial services.
- Colours: Deep red, warm amber, soft white
- Mode: Slow gentle fade
- Best for: Homes going for a quieter, more reflective tone
- App setup: Three colour slow crossfade at 60 to 70 percent brightness
4. Full poppy field
A gradient that transitions across the roofline like a field of poppies.
- Colours: Deep red fading through bright red, touches of green, ending in warm white
- Mode: Static gradient
- Best for: Long, uninterrupted eave lines (works best on 100+ ft runs)
- App setup: Use the gradient tool to map colours across your full roofline
5. Fallen soldier tribute
All red with a single purple node as a solemn accent. Understated and powerful.
- Colours: Red (base) with one purple accent per section
- Mode: Static
- Best for: Minimalist homes, modern architecture
- App setup: Set all nodes to red, then manually change one node per roofline section to purple
Download Our Poppy Tribute Pattern
Red, red, purple, green. The colours of the poppy. Scan the QR code below to load it directly into your GOULY app.
How to download
- 1Open the GOULY app
- 2Tap Pattern
- 3Tap theicon (Scan)
- 4Scan this QR code
- 5Click Shared Folder, and Turn On
Remembrance Day light designs by home style
Traditional / two storey
The poppy tribute pattern (red, red, purple, green) looks incredible across multiple roofline levels. The repeating pattern creates rhythm across peaks and valleys that mimics a field of poppies.
Modern / flat roof
Keep it strong with the classic red and white alternating, or go all red with a single purple accent. Clean lines amplify the boldness of red.
Bungalow / ranch
The full roofline is one continuous line, which makes the poppy tribute pattern shine. Every colour is visible in sequence from the street.
Craftsman / cottage
The candlelight vigil palette (deep red, amber, white) complements the warm, natural materials typical of these homes.
How to set up Remembrance Day lights in the GOULY app
Setting up a Remembrance Day scene takes less than five minutes:
- Open the GOULY app and tap your connected lighting system
- Tap Pattern to open the pattern library
- Create a new custom scene or scan our free QR code (above) to load the Number One Lights Remembrance Day poppy pattern instantly
- Adjust brightness to 80 to 90 percent. Red and purple look best at higher brightness levels
- Set a schedule so your lights turn on automatically at sunset on November 10 and off after November 11
- Save to a folder called "Remembrance Day" so you can reuse it every year
Pro tip: many homeowners keep their Remembrance Day display running from November 1 through November 11, then transition directly into their Christmas scene.
Remembrance Day lighting etiquette
A few things to keep in mind when lighting your home for Remembrance Day:
- Keep it respectful. Remembrance Day is a solemn occasion. Static patterns work better than chase effects or animations
- Red is the anchor. Red should be the dominant colour in any Remembrance Day display. Other colours are accents
- Brightness matters. This is not a party display. Keep brightness at 70 to 90 percent for a dignified look
- Timing. The most impactful time is from sunset on November 10 through the end of November 11. Some homeowners run it for the first two weeks of November
- Pair with a poppy. A physical poppy on your door or mailbox alongside lit roofline creates a complete tribute
Beyond Remembrance Day: November transitions
After November 11, here are natural transitions:
- Remembrance Day red → Christmas red, green, and white (the easiest transition of the year)
- Remembrance Day red → warm white (neutral November look before Christmas)
- Remembrance Day red → Grey Cup team colours (for football fans)
The point of permanent lighting is that you are never locked into one look. Remembrance Day is just one folder in your app library, ready every November with one tap.
Common questions about Remembrance Day outdoor lights
- What colours represent Remembrance Day? Red (for the poppy and sacrifice), purple (for animals who served), and green (for the poppy stem). White is also used to represent peace.
- Is it appropriate to light my house for Remembrance Day? Yes. A respectful, static display in poppy colours is a visible tribute that veterans and neighbours appreciate.
- When should I start running Remembrance Day lights? Most homeowners start between November 1 and November 10. The lights are most impactful at sunset on November 11.
- Can I save my Remembrance Day scene for next year? Yes. Save it in a folder in the app and it is ready every November with one tap.
- Is the free pattern compatible with my system? The QR code pattern works with any GOULY app connected permanent lighting system.
- Should I use animations for Remembrance Day? No. A static pattern is more respectful and appropriate for a day of remembrance. Save chase effects and animations for holidays like Christmas or Halloween.
Ready to light up your home for Remembrance Day and every occasion?
Frequently asked questions
Red represents the poppy and sacrifice, purple honours animals who served in wartime, and green represents the poppy stem. A repeating pattern of red, red, purple, green creates a powerful poppy tribute on any roofline.
Yes. A respectful, static display in poppy colours is a visible tribute that veterans and neighbours appreciate. Keep it dignified with static patterns rather than chase effects or animations.
Open the GOULY app, tap Pattern, tap the import icon (viewfinder with a line through it), and scan the QR code in this article. The poppy tribute pattern loads instantly into your app.
Most homeowners start between November 1 and November 10. The lights are most impactful at sunset on November 11. Many transition directly into Christmas lights afterward.
No. If you already have a permanent lighting system with RGBW nodes, Remembrance Day scenes are free. You just create a new scene in the app using your existing hardware.
No. A static pattern is more respectful and appropriate for a day of remembrance. Save chase effects and animations for holidays like Christmas or Halloween.
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