National Carnation Day – January 29, 2027

Expected National Carnation Day Deals

As National Carnation Day approaches, florists and gift shops often highlight the flower’s significance. Expect deals from major floral retailers like FTD and 1-800-Flowers on carnation bouquets and arrangements, perfect for gifting or personal enjoyment. Local flower shops may offer special promotions or educational workshops on carnation care and symbolism. Historical associations, such as the White House Historical Association, might feature content related to President William McKinley and his beloved red carnation. Look for opportunities to support local florists and engage with historical societies. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as January 29 approaches.

History of National Carnation Day

National Carnation Day, also known as Red Carnation Day, was established in memory of President William McKinley. He was born many years ago on January 29, and was well known for his love of carnations, as he often wore one on his lapel. McKinley’s famed carnations stayed on for a while, with the flower appearing multiple times all throughout his political career. It all started in 1876 when he was running for Congress in Ohio on the Republican ticket. His competitor, Levi Lamborn, was a horticulturalist who had cultivated a strain of bright scarlet carnations he named ‘Lamborn Red.’ So before debates between the candidates, Lamborn gave McKinley one of his carnations. And after McKinley won the election, he began viewing carnations as good luck charms — and maybe they were because they just kept working in his favor.

McKinley had carnations everywhere; his clothes and the vase in his office were filled with them. Even during his stay in the White House, he kept a whole basket of carnations centered in the Cabinet Room. One political joke remarked, “Whenever someone came to see the President and couldn’t get an office, he got a carnation.” President McKinley would pick up one of the flowers and place them in the visitor’s buttonhole. So whenever a man left the president’s presence wearing a flower, everyone figured he didn’t get what he went for.

According to legend, when President McKinley was sadly hit by an assassin’s bullet in September of 1901, he took off the carnation he was wearing and gave it to a young girl. People believe luck left him when he took off the carnation. After his death, National Carnation Day started in his honor. The official day began with the Carnation League of America, the group established by Lewis G. Reynolds of Dayton, Ohio, and was first held in 1903. It is a silent memorial day in which its observers wear a carnation in the spirit of patriotism and to “encourage the growth of good citizenship and advance the greatness of the country by the proper observance of national holidays.”