A carnation – in all of its beauty, fragrance and uniqueness – is symbolic of Mother's Day and has come to epitomize a mother's love.
But why carnations, you ask, and not roses, or orchids…or daisies? Because carnations once held important meanings for one important mother.
A Mother's Favourite Flower White carnations were the favourites of Mrs. Ann M. Jarvis, the mother of Mother's Day trailblazer Miss Anna Jarvis. Mrs. Jarvis favoured white carnations because they “typify some of the virtues of motherhood”. For example, “[its] whiteness stands for purity, its lasting qualities [stands for] faithfulness, its fragrance [stands for]love, its wide field of growth [stands for] charity, and its form [stands for] beauty.”
An Official Mother's Day Flower White carnations were first presented to mothers on Mother's Day in 1908. During the first official Mother's Day service at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church ( Grafton, West Virginia ), 500 white carnations – sent by Miss Jarvis – were distributed amongst the mothers present. The following year, Miss Jarvis gifted more than 10,000 carnations to the same church on Mother's Day. This eventually leads to the tradition of giving carnations to mothers on Mother's Day. Soon after, children gave red carnations to their mothers and placed white carnations on the graves of their deceased mothers.
Carnations of Today Today, the rules of gifting carnations on Mother's Day have changed. In these affluent times, mothers are treated to big bouquets, Table Flowers, lavish lunches/dinners and even luxurious spa/massage sessions. Mother's Day has also become a cash cow for the florist industries who deliberately hiku up flower prices nearing this once-sacred occasion. It is no wonder why Miss Jarvis ultimately went on a determined protest against the celebration that she initially created for her own mother, is it?
