【母爱似水父爱如山】Carnations as a Symbol of Motherly Love

In general, carnations are meant to signify love, fascination, distinction, protection, healing, and strength. However, different coloured... ...

https://www.happybunch.com.sg/blog/carnations-meaning/

 

Have you ever wondered why carnations are so strongly linked to Mother’s Day? We’ve done our research and it boiled down to two explanations!

Anna Jarvis is known to be the founder of Mother’s Day in the United States. Her mother often mentioned that it would be good to have an occasion to celebrate all mothers and their positive contributions. Thus, shortly after her death, Jarvis decided to honour her mother by granting her wish and establishing such a holiday. During a memorial at her mother’s church, she gave out 500 white carnations, her mother’s favourite flower, to all the mothers who attended the service. This then sparked the unofficial inauguration of the holiday, where Jarvis started writing letters to local, state, and national politicians for their support of this event. She explained,

The carnation does not drop its petals, but hugs them to its heart as it dies, and so, too, mothers hug their children to their hearts, their mother love never dying.

Years later, she has succeeded and the holiday is observed by many around the world. Her touching story is also what sparked the wide use of carnations to celebrate Mother’s Day!

Another reason why carnations are linked to Mother’s Day is based on a Christian legend. According to the legend, carnations bloomed from Virgin Mary’s tears after she was overcome with sadness when she saw Jesus carrying the cross. This symbolises the motherly love that she had for him, and is a reason why carnations are associated with motherly love and Mother’s Day!