Anna Jarvis sent 500 white carnations to the first formal Mother's Day service in 1908.
The service took place at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, her late mother's church. Jarvis was living in Philadelphia and did not attend the Grafton service herself; instead, she sent the flowers for attendees to receive or wear.
The white carnation had personal meaning because it was Ann Reeves Jarvis's favorite flower. It soon became closely associated with Mother's Day, especially in church observances. Later traditions added color symbolism: white carnations came to represent deceased mothers, while pink or red carnations were commonly associated with living mothers.
Jarvis originally envisioned Mother's Day as a personal day of remembrance and family devotion, not a commercial gift-giving occasion. She later strongly opposed florists, card companies, and other businesses that profited from the holiday. The 500 flowers therefore mark both the beginning of a lasting tradition and the founder's very specific tribute to her mother.