HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

With their fringed petals and clean smell, carnations may not seem all that remarkable. They’re certainly not as flashy or eye-catching as a bright orchid or a colorful Dutch tulip. Yet for more than a century, they’ve been the official flower of Mother’s Day.

Moms and grandmothers alike can thank Philadelphia activist Anna Jarvis for the carnation tradition. On May 10, 1908, Jarvis sent hundreds of white carnations, her late mother’s favorite flower, to her hometown church in West Virginia for a celebration honoring all mothers.

⁉ DID YOU KNOW that white carnations were the symbol of Mother’s Day because they were thought to typify some of the virtues of motherhood:

🔲 whiteness stands for #purity;
🔲 its lasting qualities, #faithfulness;
🔲 its fragrance, #love;
🔲 its wide field of growth, #charity;
🔲 its form, #beauty.

Over time, different colored carnations began to take on their own meanings:
🤍 Because of their history, fragrance, and “heavenly soft” texture, white carnations became popularly thought of as the flowers you left at the gravesite of a mother who had passed away.
❤ Red carnations are believed to be a gift for mothers who are still alive, as it was believed carnations’ deep red petals represented that of a beating heart and love.

Happy Mother’s Day!

#MVIdeeNGO #AnnaJarvis #WhiteCarnation #RedCarnation