Why jasmine is Thailand's Mother's Day flower, and how to pick a fresh garland

Thai Mother's Day is 12 August, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. Its flower is jasmine — dok mali — and on the morning of the 12th children of every age kneel and place a jasmine garland in their mother's hands. The choice of flower predates the holiday; it comes from what jasmine has always meant here.

What jasmine says

Jasmine is white, opens at night, and keeps its scent after it is picked. In Thai symbolism that makes it purity, and a love that does not fade — the two things the day is about. It is also the flower of respect: the same garland goes to monks, to teachers on Wai Kru day, and to elders at Songkran. Giving it to your mother puts her in that company.

How a garland is strung

Jasmine buds are picked closed, before dawn, and threaded one by one onto a needle and thread in a tight spiral, usually with a tassel of rose petals or a marigold at the end. A good garland is dense, even, and made the same morning; the buds open through the day and release their scent as they do. This is why we string ours on the morning of delivery and never the day before.

Fresh or not: how to tell

• Buds, not open flowers. Closed buds mean it was strung today. Fully open, browning edges mean yesterday.
• Scent. Fresh jasmine is unmistakable at arm's length. A faint smell is a day old.
• Tight spacing. Gaps in the spiral mean buds have dropped.

Beyond the garland

The garland is the ritual; the gift is separate. Mothers get flowers for the house that day: a vase arrangement in white and pink, a lily piece, or a basket. Order both together on the Mother's Day page and choose the morning window; the 12th is one of the fullest days of the year, so book early. If you are away, the garland can still arrive in your name — the etiquette guide explains the card.