My childhood memories of Mother’s Day involve being with family. We would always attend church together, and then in earlier years eat lunch at my grandmother’s house. I especially loved the homegrown green beans canned from her garden, and her homemade pie crust was to die for! When I think of it now, she didn’t take the day off for Mother’s Day. As a matter of fact she probably spent more time than usual cooking and making the day special for everyone else. As the years went on, my own mother continued those traditions, and now that I am a mother, passing down those customs has become my responsibility.
Flowers – A Mother’s Day Tradition
One tradition is especially dear to me now. I remember that on Mother’s Day, my grandmother would wear a white flower on the lapel of her jacket. My sister, mother and I would be given a red flower to wear, sometimes a carnation bought at the flower shop or even a red rosebud clipped from the rosebush in the yard.
I remember the year my mother explained that white flowers were in honor of those that had lost their mothers, while those that had mothers still living would wear red. At church in those days, many would wear the flowers and I would scan the room to see the different women and what color they were wearing. My sister and I were so proud when my father would make sure that we had our red flowers to wear. Those are treasured memories.
Start Your Own
This year is a great time to start your own Mother’s Day tradition. Here are a few last-minute ideas that will be of some help. Breakfast in bed is almost guaranteed, no matter how hard it is to patiently stay in the bed, pretending to be asleep while you hear the kitchen being dismantled pan by pan. Homemade cards or coupons promising to walk the dog or clean a room are treasured keepsakes. A meal together, prepared with love or enjoyed in a favorite restaurant, provides memories that last a lifetime. What about a beautiful bouquet of flower? Flowers always make a beautiful statement, and can easily become a part of your Mother’s Day traditions.
This year, I am sharing my tradition of wearing red or white flowers on Mother’s Day as another way to honor mom. It’s the perfect way to make moms and daughters feel special or to memorialize those mothers that have passed away.
No matter how your family celebrates Mother’s Day, it is important to remember those traditions passed down from your family.
