Flower power for mothers
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Carnations for sale at Kam Flower Shop. Photo: Zureena Abdullah 

Mothers all over the country are set to receive love notes and gifts of affection from their loving children today in commemoration of Mother's Day. They are expected to be pampered with all sorts of gifts as children pay tribute to their mothers today, the day proclaimed as Mother's Day.

Supermarkets and other shopping establishments have a range of gifts to offer to mothers as a demonstration of love and thanks from their loving children. Bouquet shops also expect to receive more orders for flowers today as some prefer to say their love with bouquets of blooms.

Two of the leading flower shops in the country, Kam Flower Shop in Yayasan Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah and Centrepoint, Gadong as well as Hsign Hsing Flower Shop in Block D, Pengkalan Gadong have bountiful stocks of blooms to cater for the expected booming sales today.

The much-needed sales are very much welcomed as flower shops have also been affected by the economic downturn. Both shops said they have carnations, which are expected to attract bigger demand since the flower has a historical significance on the day. "Carnations are usually picked up by our customers because it is the flower that Jarvis, the initiator of Mother's Day, had given to her mother because it was her mother's favourite flower.

"We have white carnations - representing the sweetness, purity and endurance of mother love and red carnations as symbols of a living mother. The white ones now signify that one's mother has died," said a shop assistant at Kam Flower.

The two shops stated that apart from Feb 14 (Valentine's Day), Mother's Day is also considered as their best day of business takings of the year as thousands of customers rush to order bouquets of flowers for their loving mothers.

Courtesy of Sunday Bulletin