Roses the universal symbol of love in flowers. When giving flowers or roses did you ever wonder what they mean or want to convey a message? Where did the tradition come from? There are over 30 different meanings for roses and their varying colors, and hundreds for flowers alone.
According to ancient Greek legend, Flora, the goddess of flowers, was walking through the forest and found the body of a beautiful nymph. Unhappy seeing the lovely creature dead, she decided to give her a new life by turning her into a flower whose beauty surpassed by none. She asked Aphrodite to give beauty, brilliance, joy and charm; Zephyrus, the west wind, to blow away the clouds so that Apollo, the Sun, could cast his warming rays upon it, and Dionysius, the god of wine to give nectar and fragrance. When the new flower was complete, Chloris placed a crown of dewdrops over her and named her the Rose, Queen of Flowers. Aphrodite presented the Rose to her son Eros, the deity of Love. The white rose became the symbol of charm and innocence and the red rose the symbol of love and desire.
Roses traditionally have a long history as symbols of love, beauty, war, romance and have also been used to indicate secrecy. Over millions of years old, roses were first cultivated in gardens by the Chinese some 5000 years ago. During the Roman Era they were used as confettie, perfume and for medicinal purposes. It is said one wealthy king was so enthralled with rose petals he would often have the petals dropped from the ceiling over guests at banquets. Roses were mentioned in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Queen Cleopatra of Egypt is said to have blanketed her room 20 inches deep in roses petals to welcome her beloved Marc Antony's return.
When sending roses or flowers, always consider the choices of your receipient. If your love prefers yellow, by all means send yellow! If he/she would prefer daisies, then send daisies. Many florists accomadate special requests, evee when ordered online, and will add an item such as a rose in your choice of color.
Below are the most popular, along with the meanings, and a list for each month with it's traditional birthstone and flower.
| Burgandy | Unconscious beauty |
| Coral | Desire |
| Lavender | Enchantment, love at first sight |
| Leaves | Hope |
| Moss Rose | Confession of love |
| Orange | Fascination |
| Pale colored rose | Friendship |
| Pink, dark | Admiration, thankfullness |
| Pink, light | Perfect happiness, joy and grace |
| Red | Love, passion, respect |
| Red bud | Pure and lovely |
| Tea roses | I still love you |
| White | Innocence, purity, secrecy |
| White bud | Too young for love, girlhood |
| Yellow | Friendship, joy, in Victorian times, jealousy |
Embossed Roses |
Red and White Roses together symbolize unity. Red, white and pink are significant of the Holy Trinity. When red and white are combined with ivy, eternal unity. Traditionally one single rose symbolizes love and simplicity. Two symbolize an engagement and a bouquet of 3 is a "sweetheart" or "I Love You" bouquet. Six or seven, depending on the belief and country, mean I adore you. One dozen meaning true love, 15 an apology, while 25 means congratulations and 50 symbolizing unconditional love, while 100 symbolizes devotion. For the ultimate in proposals, 108 represents a request to "marry me". |
Creative romantic gifts and products to help relationships. Gold roses, chocolate roses, unique jewelry, bath and body gifts and more. Beautiful keepsake candles, love tokens, games for two. RomanceHer.com
| January | Garnet | Carnation |
| Febuary | Amethyst | Violet |
| March | Aquamarine, Bloodstone | Daffodil, Jonquil |
| April | Diamond | Sweet Pea |
| May | Emerald | Lily of the Valley |
| June | Pearl | Rose |
| July | Ruby | Larkspur, Delphenium |
| August | Peridot | Gladiolus |
| September | Sapphire | Aster |
| October | Opal or Tourmaline | Calendula |
| November | Topaz | Chyrsanthemum |
| December | Zircon or Turquoise | Narcissus |
