Colors for Mother's Day

The history of Mother's Day varies from country to country, though it's generally believed that the tradition in the United States began when a young Appalachian homemaker worked to improve sanitation through "Mothers' Work Days," back in the nineteenth century, as she called them.

According to Wikipedia, Ann Jarvis "organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors. When Jarvis died in 1907, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on 10 May 1908, in the church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Originally the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, this building is now the International Mother's Day Shrine (a National Historic Landmark). From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by some states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war."

So the tradition began. Nowadays, Mother's Day is observed the second Sunday in May. If you're like the women in my family, you'll wear a corsage (or your husband'll give you a bouquet of flowers, appropriately colored) that's got red flowers in it if your mom's alive, and white flowers if your mom has passed away.

I've never been a big fan of carnations, so I prefer a small red rose since my mom is still living, and I like to get her a white calla lily or gardenia to wear since my grandmother died some time ago.

• Do you wear—or give someone you love—flowers for Mother's Day?
• Are they white or red?