Why Do We Give Carnations on Mother's Day? The Meaning and Origins Explained

People often give carnations as a gift to their mothers, using them to express love and blessings for their mothers. With the rise of Mother's Day, carnations have become the best-selling flowers in the world. What exactly is the charm of carnations that makes so many people adore them? Let's learn about their symbolic and representative meanings below!

I. Introduction to Carnations

Carnations are perennial herbaceous plants of the family Caryophyllaceae, including many varieties and hybrids, and can bloom almost continuously in a greenhouse. Carnations originated in the Mediterranean region and are mainly distributed in the temperate zones of Europe and in China's Fujian, Hubei and other places, and are one of the most widely used flowers in the world. Carnations usually grow singly at the tips of branches, sometimes 2 or 3 together, with a rich fragrance, and the common colors are pink, red or white.

II. What Carnations Represent

Most carnations represent love, charm and respect. Unlike roses, the love that carnations represent is lighter and warmer, suited to the love of family, so children mostly give carnations to their own mothers. In 1907, Jarvis of Philadelphia, USA, first used the pink carnation as a symbol of Mother's Day; at Mother's Day, people often rush in crowds to buy carnations.

III. The Symbolic Meaning of Carnations

Carnations generally represent passion, charm, the love that makes one tender, true feeling, Mother I love you, warm blessings, loving you, warmth, kindness, selfless motherly love, tolerance, the flower of mothers, deep family affection, a woman's love, longing for family, pure affection, passionate love, warm-heartedness, sorrow and regret, pain, greatness, sacredness, kindness, consolation, spiritual connection, sincerity, and good luck.

IV. The Meanings of Different Colors of Carnations

The symbolic meanings of carnations of different colors also differ:

White:Sweet and lovely, innocent, pure love, a gift that brings good luck to women, purity, pure friendship, my living love, my love forever, faith, elegant love, true feeling, respect.

Pink:Legend says that the pink carnation came from the sorrowful tears the Virgin Mary shed when she saw Jesus suffer; where the tears fell, carnations grew, and so the pink carnation became a symbol of immortal motherly love. It represents meanings such as I will never forget you, beauty, youth, love, wishing mother forever young and beautiful; being moved, brightness, motherly love, a woman's love, I love you passionately, and so on.

Red:My heart aches for you, appreciation, admiration, infatuation, family affection, passionate love, warmth, a wounded heart, longing, belief in your love, wishing mother health and longevity, wishing you health.

Yellow:You disappoint me, abandonment, disdain, long-lasting friendship, gratitude to mother, rejection, insult, contempt, eternal thanks, deep friendship.

Carnations also come in many other colors, but their meanings never depart from love. The carnation is a symbol of immortal motherly love, representing health and good wishes. Nowadays we are often not good at expressing our feelings, and many times it is "love in the heart but hard to speak"; since we cannot say it, then let us show it through actions, and give a beautiful bouquet of carnations to the mother we love most!

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