Flowers Can Speak For You

By Fritz Jackson

Dating back to ancient times, flowers have been used as a motion of kindness. We usually present them to those we love and care for. We send flowers to show them how important they are, to show appreciation, to celebrate occasions, or even to sympathize. What we don't know is that giving certain kinds of flowers, and even their colors, actually have definitions of their own.

Floriography: (Language Of Flowers)

During medieval & Renaissance times, flowers were often given moral meanings. This can be widely seen in art where saints are often portrayed with flowers that represent or symbolize their virtues. "Some of the Christian symbols for Virginity or Chastity are the white rose, the myrtle, a vessel or vase, the lily, and the unicorn," according to Liana DeGirolami Cheney in an edition of Sixteenth Century Journal.

During the Victorian era, flowers began to create or add emotion. The language of flowers, often referred to as floriography, began being used as a discreet form of communication. In the 18th century, sending messages in code using flowers became popular. Based on a Turkish secret language of flowers, known as Persian Salaam, a coded flower arrangement could be sent to profess feelings of attraction or even love.

A book entirely about flower interpretations by Madame Charlotte de la Tour, "Le Language des Fleurs," dates back to 1819. 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 in Japan use the Hanakotoba code, and still use the flower-language in popular culture such as in films and animation, like the anime series "Wei Kreuz."

Popular Meanings Of Flowers

Purchase or borrow a dictionary of flowers to see the several meanings and interpretations of flowers. Some of the most well-known flowers and their meanings are written 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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