Flowers And Their Meanings — How To Choose The Right One
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If you’re going to give someone a flower, let it be for one or all these three reasons.
First, flowers are the most beautiful and fragrant things on Earth.
Second, flowers have been used as symbols in love stories for a very long time. Giving someone a flower means you are giving them your heart.
Third, the meaning of flowers can be used to express what words cannot.
The language of flowers, also called floriography, was used in the Victorian era to send coded messages. For example, a red rose meant ‘I love you’, while a yellow rose meant ‘friendship’. Today, the meaning of flowers is still very important, even though we don’t use it as much.
Choosing the right flower for the right occasion is not always easy. Knowing the meanings of flowers can help you choose the perfect one.
Here is a list of some popular flowers and their meanings:
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Tulips
Have you ever noticed how tulips kind of look like turbans?
Due to this, they were named tulips by the Turkish people.
Since tulips are a classic flower that symbolizes deep love. These form a perfect gift for your partner, children, or parents whom you love unconditionally.
Tulips also signify rebirth, as they bloom at the starting of spring. You can give tulips to those who are about to have major changes in their life or beginning a new adventure.
White tulips mean respect, honor, purity, and forgiveness. Whether you are apologetic for something or want to hold a religious ceremony, like bar mitzvah or baptism, white tulips are the best fit for you.
Purple tulips signify royalty and elegance. Queen Elizabeth in the 1500s had banned the common public from wearing purple due to it being so special. Purple dye, in those days, was a luxury meant only for the royals or those who were very wealthy. You can give purple tulips to the one who is special to you. Purple tulips are apt for bridal bouquets.
Peony
As per Greek mythology, Apollo was caught flirting with Paeonia, a nymph, behind Aphrodite’s back. Aphrodite turned the nymph into a flower due to getting upset.
Thus, in Greece, people consider peonies as a symbol of bashfulness.
However, in Japan and China, peonies represent prosperity and growth. That’s the reason why peonies are used in major holidays like the Chinese New Year. Peonies also typify good luck, bravery, and good fortune. So, if someone you know is graduating, getting married or given birth recently, you can present them with a bouquet of peonies.
Pink peonies are great for wedding bouquets as they are associated with bringing prosperity and good luck. Red peonies stand for passion, love, respect, and honor. Whatever your relationship status may be, you can always give a bunch of bright, red peonies and bring a smile to your favorite person’s face.
White peonies, on the other hand, represent bashfulness. So, carefully pick up a clean white bunch of peonies for the one you want to apologize to; the snow-white coloured bunch of peonies will clear your path to an apology.
Orchids
Orchids got its name from the Greek word ‘orkhis’. The Greek botanist Theophrastos thought that the underground fleshy tubers look like the male anatomy. Because of their namesake, orchids have been associated with virility, fertility, and sexuality.
Orchids are also used to express eternal love, due to their long life as compared to other blooms.
Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis orchids are mostly used as sympathy flowers and given during funerals. Pink and white orchids are good choices for funerals as they represent memories, innocence, and remembrance.
Gladiolus
Xiphium is an ancient Greek word that means sword. Sword lilies and sword flowers are some of the common names for Gladiolus, which came from ‘Gladius’, a Latin word that also means sword.
Gladiolus flowers looked like the swords that gladiators used back in the days. Therefore, they came to represent strength and resilience.
Red gladiolus represents passion and love and can be a good gift for Valentine’s Day or a wedding anniversary. These also depict faithfulness and infatuation.
Yellow gladioli convey compassion and cheerfulness. Thus, if you want to cheer up someone or give consolation, these are the flowers for you. It shows your support, care, and love for them.
Gladiolus flowers can be a good choice for funeral services, as they signify strength, upliftment, and character. This means that you want the family to stay strong in such difficult times and eventually heal, along with signifying the strong character their loved one had.
Chrysanthemum
In Greek, ‘chrysos’ means gold and ‘anthemon’ means flower.
These special flowers have various connotations around the globe. Asian countries consider white chrysanthemums as a mark of grief. Europeans view this flower as the mark of death and use them only for the sake of memorial services or graves. In the United States, chrysanthemums are seen as light-hearted flowers that symbolize honoring the life of a loved one who is no more.
Therefore, it is quite common for yellow and white chrysanthemum flowers to be gifted as condolence flowers.
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In conclusion, flowers are a great gift for any occasion. They have many meanings and can be given to express love or condolences. When considering what type of flower you would like to give your loved one, remember that there is not just one meaning attached to each colour — it's more about the context in which it is presented.
Author Bio
Sara Tiffany is the Community Manager for Embrace Funeral Services. They are a funeral home in Singapore that was founded by a fourth-generation funeral director. The company’s philosophy revolves around the ideology of “embracing families as if our own” so as to strengthen interconnections in society.