In the United States, a white rose on Father's Day traditionally signifies what?

In the United States, a white rose on Father’s Day traditionally signifies a deceased father. The custom developed alongside early American Father’s Day observances, when people wore flowers to show whether their father was living or had died.

Sonora Smart Dodd, who promoted Father’s Day in Spokane, Washington, helped establish the observance in 1910. Early celebrations used a red rose for a living father and a white rose in memory of a deceased father. The flower made the holiday a visible act of remembrance, especially during church services and community events.

The tradition is less familiar today because cards, gifts, meals, and phone calls have largely replaced wearing a rose. It also was never a universal rule: families and communities may use different flowers or no flower at all. The key distinction in the classic U.S. custom is white for a father who has died, red for one who is living—not white for peace or general affection.