The tradition of Mother’s Day originated in ancient Greece, where people paid tribute to and celebrated the “mothers” of Greek gods such as Zeus and Poseidon. It expressed reverence and worship towards the goddesses.
Modern Mother’s Day, however, has its roots in the United States. Anna Jarvis, an American women’s rights activist, was the earliest promoter of Mother’s Day. Her mother, Mrs. Jarvis, once expressed a wish during a prayer, hoping that someone would establish a day to commemorate and praise mothers in the United States and around the world.
Thanks to Anna’s efforts, in 1914, the United States Congress officially designated the second Sunday of May, which coincided with the anniversary of Mrs. Jarvis’s passing, as Mother’s Day. Now, more than 50 countries, including our own, choose to celebrate Mother’s Day on this day. Since everyone has a mother, celebrating Mother’s Day is a wonderful thing.
The second Sunday of May, every year, is Mother’s Day. The significance of this holiday is to remind everyone not to forget their mothers, who have been silently giving. Remember to thank her, help with some household chores, and give her a gift.
When it comes to gifts for Mother’s Day, many people immediately think of carnations. However, there are more flower options to give to mothers. The owner of a flower shop has selected several flowers that are associated with mothers and some that I think are suitable for moms. I recommend them to everyone, and you can choose according to your own preferences.
Giving flowers is a fine tradition for Mother’s Day, and there is a wide range of choices beyond just carnations. When giving flowers, it is important to have thoughtfulness and also reflect your own taste and aesthetics.
Flower meaning: Warm blessings, respect, the flower of mothers.
Carnations come in different colors, each with a significant meaning. White represents the gratitude of children towards their mothers, pink symbolizes children wishing their mothers to stay forever young and beautiful, and red represents children’s wishes for their mothers to have a long and healthy life. Carnations are elegant, graceful, and often the preferred choice for Mother’s Day bouquets.
Flower meaning: Pure love, beauty and courage, sincere love.
Roses can be given not only to lovers but also to mothers. Their flower meaning perfectly embodies the role of a mother in life. Motherly love is the greatest, as mothers can bravely face challenges and selflessly give everything, even their own lives, for their children.
Flower meaning: Great love, nobility, respect.
Lilies symbolize a pure heart and represent the idea of a hundred years of harmony and a loving family. They carry deep blessings. Lilies are noble and elegant in shape, with pure and graceful colors, and emit a rich fragrance. Gifting a bouquet of lilies on Mother’s Day is truly fitting.
Flower meaning: Romantic fulfillment, hope, health.
Sending a bouquet of hydrangeas on Mother’s Day is a blessing for your mother’s health and a future filled with hope. The round shape of hydrangea flowers symbolizes reunion, expressing your anticipation of being reunited with her after the movement restrictions, conveying your heartfelt feelings.
Flower meaning: Innocence, care, longing.
Baby’s Breath doesn’t wither easily and represents a mother’s eternal love. It is often used as a filler flower, symbolizing how a mother willingly plays a supporting role in your growth, silently supporting and encouraging you. These tiny flowers represent our love for our mothers, every bit like stars.
Flower meaning: Perseverance in the face of adversity, strength in hardship.
Chrysanthemums, with their pure and serene Japanese style, are popular and suitable for any occasion or recipient. A bunch of chrysanthemums is like holding a handful of small suns, radiating healing sunlight and a fairy-like aura. Your mother will definitely love them!
Flower meaning: Elegance, virtue, beauty.
Orchids symbolize beautiful individuals and beautiful qualities. In addition to fresh flower bouquets, gifting your mother an orchid potted plant is also a great choice, especially for mothers who enjoy gardening. The sword orchid also carries the meaning of longevity and well-being, making it the best blessing for your mother.
Flower meaning: Sunshine, brightness, hope.
Sunflowers always turn towards the light, blooming with a love for life. They are a unique expression of love for optimistic, cheerful, and life-loving mothers. In fact, they also carry the meaning of “silent love, love that is unspoken.” If you rarely express your love to your mother verbally, let the sunflower speak for you!
Flower meaning:sentiments of longing, beauty, and prosperity.
Peony flowers possess a captivating beauty, naturally exquisite and graceful, encompassing the beauty of color, fragrance, and charm. Compared to single-petal peonies, the double-petal peonies surpass them in both color and posture, making them a preferred choice for floral arrangements and gift-giving.
Peonies are widely regarded as symbols of health, harmony, and longevity. These flowers are suitable for gifting on any occasion, particularly significant on Mother’s Day.
Since ancient times, the beauty of women has been compared to peonies. With their elegant fragrance and graceful form, peonies make an excellent choice for gifting to mothers. Let’s not forget, before you came along, your mother was once seen as a beauty in someone else’s eyes. Moreover, peonies are also symbols of wealth and beauty!
Flower meaning:Diligence, Longevity, Prosperity, Health, Strength
Sword Orchid (Gladiolus), also known as Tang Changpu, gets its name from its clustered arrangement of flowers that bloom from bottom to top. As a result, it symbolizes heartfelt dedication, longevity, prosperity, good fortune, and resilience. It is particularly suitable for expressing blessings on Mother’s Day.
Due to its distinctive growth posture, the Sword Orchid showcases an extraordinary charm regardless of whether it is arranged straight, slanted, with long stems, or short stems. It effortlessly transitions from natural beauty to artistic beauty, exuding an enchanting quality. Some experts even praise it as the “versatile master” in the field of floral arrangements. Not only does it carry auspicious meanings, but it also possesses a beautiful and elegant appearance.
Flower meaning: Loyalty, simplicity, respect, purity
During Mother’s Day in Thailand, it is said that daughters offer pure white jasmine as the flower for their mothers to express gratitude and respect.
The Chinese folk song “What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower” carries the longing for home through the symbol of jasmine. When thinking of one’s hometown, one may also think of their mother at home.
Jasmine itself may not have a striking appearance, but its pure and simple white blooms emit a subtle fragrance. It can be used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Its understated and practical image aligns with the traditional image of a mother.
Flower meaning: Purity, innocence
In ancient Greece and Rome, water lilies, similar to lotus flowers in China, were regarded as “sacred flowers,” representing beauty and purity. The water lilies commonly found are usually blue lotus with beautiful shades of blue and purple, exuding innocence and vibrancy.
I included water lilies on this list because it is a flower I personally want to give to my mother. The symbolism of water lilies includes innocence, untouched by the muddy waters, as well as alluring beauty.
Mothers are not always portrayed as silently devoted, diligent, and simple figures. They can be innocent, enchanting, and full of charm, not solely revolving around their children, but also having more time to enjoy their own lives.
Flower meaning: Maternal love, happiness, bitterness
In the song “Arctic Poppy,” it is mentioned: “The eyes in the sky blink and blink, mother’s heart, oh Arctic poppy. The tea garden in my hometown is in full bloom, mother’s heart is in the distance. I remember my mother’s words every night, sparkling tears like Arctic poppies.” Many people have heard and can sing this song. Thanks to this song, I learned about a flower called the Arctic poppy, although I had no idea what it actually looked like as a child. Now I know that the Arctic poppy is such a flower.
Not many people who have heard of the Arctic poppy actually know how beautiful it is. Its scientific name is Papaver nudicaule, belonging to the Papaveraceae family, just like the common poppy.
The song “Arctic Poppy” was released in 1989 and serves as the theme song for the Taiwanese film “Arctic Poppy.”
In the film, the Arctic poppy symbolizes maternal love. The Arctic poppies that bloom throughout the countryside are ordinary and plain, but after they wither, they turn into spring soil that nourishes the flowers, just like a selfless and great mother. The theme song expresses the yearning of children for their mothers.
In the hearts of Taiwanese people, the Arctic poppy is the flower that represents motherhood. It can be grown in gardens, potted plants, and used for flower arrangements.
Flower meaning: Forget worries, forgotten love, mother flower
Carnation is considered the mother flower in the Western culture, while in China, it is the daylily flower. Daylilies are also known as forget-worries flowers, symbolizing the act of letting go of sorrows and forgetting all unpleasant things.
In the Book of Songs, it is mentioned, “In the dark North Hall, we can plant daylilies.” In ancient times, the North Hall was where the mother lived, representing the mother. When a traveler was about to embark on a journey, they would plant daylilies in the North Hall, hoping that the vibrant daylily flowers would help the mother forget worries and reduce longing for her children.
Daylilies belong to the Liliaceae family. They have a flower shape similar to lilies and come in shades of orange-yellow and red, making them visually appealing.
Daylilies are also known as “yellow flower vegetables,” but the edible variety of yellow flower vegetables is different from daylilies. The daylilies commonly seen for ornamental purposes are usually in shades of orange-yellow and orange-red. They contain a significant amount of colchicine, which, if ingested by mistake, can cause dizziness and diarrhea.
The edible variety of yellow flower vegetables has longer and slender flowers, with a tender yellow color. They contain a small amount of colchicine, which is safe to consume after high-temperature cooking.
In addition to expressing your love through flower gifts on special occasions, don’t forget to help her with household chores and show your care on regular days. Wishing all the mothers around the world a happy Mother’s Day in advance!
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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