Flowering Sunday

Scholars Alan and Karen Jabbour have postulated that Flowering Sunday might be connected to Appalachian and Liberian Decoration Day cemetery traditions.

Contemporary accounts indicate that Flowering Sunday became widespread in southeast Wales and nearby parts of England beginning in the mid-19th century.

[3] Richard Warner attested in 1797 "the ornamenting of the graves of the deceased with various plants and flowers, at certain seasons, by the surviving relatives" and noted that Easter was the most popular time for this tradition.

By 1803, Malkin's observations reflect the shift away predominantly associating the custom with Easter: It is very common to dress the graves on Whitsunday and other festivals, when flowers are to be procured.

In the Easter week most generally the graves are newly dressed, and manured with fresh earth, when such flowers or ever-greens as may be wanted or wished for are planted.

[4]Peter Roberts characterized these practices in 1815: "In many parts, and especially in South Wales, the friends of the deceased take much and laudable pains to deck the grave with flowers.

These flowering Sunday grave decorations were photographed in South Wales circa 1907
A depiction of 19th century Welsh cemetery decoration practices from 1853 by the artist Thomas Onwyn
These flowering Sunday grave decorations were photographed in South Wales circa 1907