Home   >   Koreatown   >   Koreatown celebrates Mother’s Day with love and carnations

Koreatown celebrates Mother’s Day with love and carnations

May 9, 2014
mother's day

At Bell Convalescent Hospital, red carnations — a symbol of admiration and love in Korean culture — were given out to elderly patients. (Park Sang-hyuk)

By The Korea Times Los Angeles staff

Mother’s Day may still be days away, but the Koreatown community on Thursday had an early celebration for the Korean Parents’ Day that falls on May 8 every year.

At Bell Convalescent Hospital, red carnations — a symbol of admiration and love in Korean culture — were given out to elderly patients.

In another part of town, at Good Samaritan Hospital, carnations were also handed to 36 Koreans in the hospital for childbirth.

“Receiving this carnation makes me realize that I’m really a mother now,” said Bang Eun-joo, who gave birth to a 7.6-pound girl, Ji-hyo, on Tuesday at the hospital. “I’ll work hard to be a good mother for this child whom I’ve been waiting for.”

Her husband, Kim Jin-man, said their daughter is precious to them because she’s their first child together after five years of marriage. He said he would be at Bang’s side in helping to raise Ji-hyo.

And at Trinity-Central Lutheran Church, Great Ark Church hosted about 250 Koreans attended a free event during which the elderly were presented with lunch and carnations.

And at Trinity-Central Lutheran Church, Great Ark Church hosted about 250 Koreans attended a free event during which the elderly were presented with lunch and carnations.

And at Trinity-Central Lutheran Church, Great Ark Church hosted about 250 Koreans attended a free event during which the elderly were presented with lunch and carnations.

Sponsored by Open Bank, Sequoia Spring Water and Bixby Golf Course and called the “Lunch of Love,” the event began in 2010 and provides lunch every second Thursday of each month.

Kim Young-kyu, pastor of Greak Ark, said the event started as a way to spread love and that it was more meaningful this year because it fell on Parents’ Day.

It makes him happy when to see elderly Koreans coming from the Valley and Orange County after taking three buses to attend and enjoy the event, he said.

“I was feeling lonely this Parents’ Day because my children are far away in Korea and Florida, so I’m just thankful that an event like this was set up so Koreans can gather and spend time together,” said Lee Jung-ja, 69, an attendee.