Mother's Day flowers

The celebration of Mother's Day in North America has become synonymous with mothering and maternal bonds. Elsewhere Mothering Sunday refers to the Mother Church. Motherhood has been celebrated in ancient times as in the Roman festival of Hilaria. Since the early 1900s, Mother's Day in Canada and the United States is recognized on the second Sunday in May.

According to the language of flowers, made popular during the Victorian era, here are the 'rules':

Often the giving of small tokens of gratitude to our mothers and grandmothers have included flowers. Ancient Egyptians chose red roses to honour Isis, the mother of the Pharoahs.

The traditional flower of love and gratitude to our Moms has been the pink carnation. Red carnations signify admiration. For those whose Mother has passed on, her memorial is indicated by white carnations.

Other flowers associated with the day include roses, tulips, violets, lilies, orchids and gerbera daisies. Each comes in a myriad of colours, accompanied by associated messages, in the language of flowers, made popular in Victorian times and still commonly used to send message. Purple lilacs symbolize the love between mother and child, while the blue and white irises indicates the affection between Jesus and his Mother Mary.


Pink and white carnations, illus. by Catherine Klein, 100 year old postcard
Iris, photo by Martin Thomas
Red rose, 100 year old postcard