On Mother’s Day, we all take the time (or should take the time) to appreciate our mothers for the immeasurable contributions they make to our lives. It could be said that the relationship with our mothers is more important than any other in our lives.
Male or female, the women in our lives help to shape our lives in significant ways. There are notable psychological benefits attached to the celebration of Mother’s Day.
The Origin of Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day celebrations dates back to 1908. That year, Anna Jarvis, a peace activist who was saddled with the responsibility of caring for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War, organized a memorial in honor of her mother. The location of that memorial in 1908 today holds the International Mother’s Day Shrine.
Anna was the first to make an effort to raise funds for the celebration of Mother’s Day in the US. After the death of Anna’s mother in 1905, she took steps to make the celebration a worldwide event. She intended to honor all the mothers of the earth for their contribution to our society.
In 1911, almost all the US states began celebrating Mother’s Day. West Virginia, the hometown of Jarvis, became the first to make Mother’s Day a state holiday.
As time passed, the 2nd Sunday of May was fixed as a day to remember all mothers. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation announcing Mother’s Day as a national holiday.
Over time, more countries began to adopt the date to celebrate the mothers. Today, every country in the world celebrates Mother’s Day. And it all began thanks to Anna Jarvis.
The Importance of Mother’s Day
Celebrating mothers helps to provide us with a form of comfort. When we consider the many different ways our mothers affect our lives from the start, we can always find a reason to celebrate them.
No matter the kind of mother we each have, our mothers contributed in making us the way we are today. This why Mother’s Day is important.
A mother is someone who loves with all her heart, be it birth mom, stepmom, foster mom, grandmother, or a strong mom figure. And Mother’s Day flowers are the perfect way to celebrate all the ones who have proudly earned the title of Mom.
Top 3 Picks for Mother’s Day Flowers
Carnations
Carnations were first made part of the Mother’s Day tradition by the Mother’s Day founder herself, Anna Jarvis. In 1908, during the first Mother’s Day memorial service, Jarvis distributed her mother’s favorite flowers, white carnations. Carnations have been a popular choice for moms ever since.
The formal name for carnations, dianthus, comes from the Greek meaning ‘heavenly flower.’ And carnations are a heavenly choice for a Mother’s Day bouquet! Long considered to symbolize love, fascination, and distinction, different color carnations also express different meanings.
Light red carnations evoke admiration; white carnations are thought to symbolize good luck; according to Christian legend, pink carnations are also believed to have first grown from the ground where the Virgin Mary shed tears over Jesus’ death. In fact, it is for this reason that many believe carnations are a symbol of a Mother’s eternal love.
Roses
Traditionally given as a Valentine’s Day flower, more recent years have seen roses become a highly popular choice for Mother’s Day bouquets.
Historically, roses have long been linked to motherhood. In ancient Greece, roses were thought to be sacred to the goddess Isis (the ideal mother) and Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty). During the Middle Ages, the rose was seen as the queen of flowers and the symbol of the Virgin Mary. Pope Leo VIII even created the Order of the Golden Rose as a means of honoring virtuous women.
Available in a host of vibrant colors, the beauty of the rose is that it can symbolize so many things — from passion (red roses) to happiness (pink roses) and even friendship (yellow roses). It’s what makes Mother’s Day roses so perfect as a gift from a husband to a wife or from a son or daughter to a mother.
Tulips
The contemporary appeal of tulips for Mother’s Day lies in their elegance and grace over anything overtly symbolic. Traditionally seen as the floral herald of spring and new life, tulips seem particularly appropriate for new mothers. And, as spring-blooming flowers, tulips are perfectly suited to the Mother’s Day celebration.
To express warmth and affection, choose pink tulips and you’ll have a gorgeous gift any Mom will adore.
Orange tulips are used to convey a sense of understanding and appreciation between two people. A bouquet of orange tulips can mean that you feel both physically and spiritually connected to someone, like Mom.
White tulips represent purity, honor, and holiness. Superstition has it that those who dream about white tulips are about to experience a fresh start or new beginning in life. Mom gave us life, right?
Yellow tulips represent happiness, cheerfulness, and hope. Some believe yellow tulips literally mean “there’s sunshine in your smile.”
Whatever you choose for Mom, she’ll love it. Because that’s what Mom’s do! They love us no matter what!
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