Symbolic Meaning of Flowers
Flowers have many meanings attached to them. Humans like to attach symbolic meaning to our gifts, our gestures, and our natural world. The meaning we assign certain items and gestures is only compounded with tradition. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle. We learn that red roses mean deep, true love, and so we send red roses as a sign of our devotion, reminding the recipient of the symbolism, and keeping florists in business with the annual Valentine’s Day rush. Flowers also take on different meanings within cultures and literature, and then that literature is spread to another culture, and the two traditions become entwined, or one tradition might be discarded for another. One example is the symbolism of a yellow rose. While they are very beautiful, and can mean things like friendship and loyalty, they are also a sign of mourning, of loss, and of remembrance. Even the number of roses you send in a bunch can affect the symbolism, though they all come down to the basic recognition of love, eternity and gratitude. But one rose can mean that the giver still loves the recipient, while two roses can signify the desire for a commitment, like marriage.
Lilies and carnations, like roses, also have different meanings attached to them. Most of them focus a great deal on love, passion, and fidelity, but there is some slight variation on that theme. For example, a striped carnation is typically seen as a rejection of advances. A pink carnation is a sign of gratitude and traditionally handed out on Mother’s Day. A Tiger Lily might be a sensuous invitation, while a white lily signifies purity and virginity.
Related Information
Silk Flower Arrangements
Silk flower arrangements are beautiful as well as resilient.
Kinds of Flowers
The kinds of flowers available for sale depend on cultural expectation and availability.
