Since ancient times, flowers have been a motion of kindness. We usually present them to those we love. We gift flowers to show them how important they are, to show appreciation, to celebrate an occasion, or even to sympathize. What we don’t know is that giving certain types of flowers, and even their colors, actually have significances of their own.
The Language Of Flowers
During medieval and Renaissance times, flowers were often given moral meanings. This is evident in artwork where saints are often depicted with flowers that symbolize the saints’ virtues. Liana DeGirolami Cheney expressed in an edition of Sixteenth Century Journal that “some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn.”
During the Victorian era, flowers began to create or add emotion. The language of flowers, sometimes referred to as floriography, began being used as a discreet form of communication. During the 18th century, sending cyphered messages using flowers became popular. Based on Persian Salaam, a Turkish secret language of flowers, a coded flower arrangement was sent to profess feelings of attraction, even love.
Back in 1819, a book entirely about interpretations of flowers called “Le Language des Fleurs,” was written by Madame Charlotte de la Tour. A similar book, “Language of Flowers” by Kate Greenaway, was written in 1884 and is still being used nowadays.
Japan also has a language of flowers, which they call “Hanakotoba.” Greeting cards created in Japan use the Hanakotoba code, and still use the flower-language in popular culture such as in movies and animation, like the anime show “Wei Kreuz.”
Favorite Flower Meanings
Buy or borrow a dictionary of flowers to see the various meanings and interpretations of flowers. Some of the most well-known flowers and their meanings are listed below:
Buttercup – riches Pink carnations – a woman’s love Chrysanthemum – love in general Forget-me-not – true love Lavender – devotion, distrust Purple lilac – first emotion of love White lily – purity Peach blossom- long-life Red rose – true love Sunflower – pure and lofty thoughts Yellow tulip – hopeless love
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