05/10/2026
Did you know it used to be a custom in the U.S. and Canada to wear a carnation on Mother's Day? The tradition was established by the holiday’s founder, Anna Jarvis, to honor her mother’s favorite flower.
The custom evolved into a symbolic gesture where a red carnation signified that a person’s mother was living, while a white carnation was worn in memory of a mother who had passed away.
This clipping from 1962 explains the tradition. See it in the Herald and News on our site: https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-news-mothers-day-carnation-c/196886049/
