If you visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, you will see flowers placed on the engraved names of some victims. Loved ones bring most of these flowers. However, white roses are different. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum places these.
Each morning, a staff member checks a list of all 2,983 victims' birthdays. They then place a single white rose by the name of every victim whose birthday it is that day. These roses rest on the bronze parapets.
The Florist Behind the Tradition
This tradition started in 2013. An unnamed volunteer suggested it, according to the museum's website. The museum gets its roses from Michael Collarone, a florist in nearby Tribeca. Collarone was an emergency medical technician during the attacks. Afterward, he donated wreaths and helped maintain the first temporary memorials at the site.
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Start Your News DetoxSix victims died on their birthdays. These include Pentagon employee Amelia Fields, Windows on the World cook Ivhan Luis Carpio Bautista, and law clerk AnnMaria Riccobini. Fields had just started her job at the Pentagon. Bautista was off work but filled in for a co-worker. Riccobini had recently beaten cancer.
The museum places white roses for a special reason: accessibility. Collarone told the Washington Post that not everyone can visit the memorial. He explained, "We're there to stand in for the relatives who couldn't make it. We always have you."
Keeping the Tradition Alive
This commitment was especially clear in 2020. During the coronavirus pandemic, people could not easily leave their homes or travel. New York's flower market had closed. Collarone had to get a special shipment of roses from the Netherlands. Despite these issues, the tradition continued without interruption, with social distancing measures in place.
Collarone told the Washington Post, "It's about commitment to a cause, to a belief that even when times are tough, we will always remember these people and never forget." That year, the victims' names were read through loudspeakers instead of on a stage.
Every day of the year is the birthday of at least one victim. If family members cannot travel to New York, they can ask the museum for a photo. This photo shows a white rose next to their relative's engraved name.
Deep Dive & References
- White Rose Signifies Remembrance for 9/11 Victims' Birthdays - 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- The 9/11 Memorial places a white rose on victims’ names on their birthdays. This year, it’s more important than ever. - The Washington Post, 2020
- White Roses Are Part of the 9/11 Memorial - The Wall Street Journal, 2019
