Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Let Flowers Say What You Can't

By Christine Jackson

Since ancient times, flowers have been a gesture of kindness. We usually give them to those we care for. We send flowers to show them how special they are, to show appreciation, to celebrate an occasion, or even to sympathize. What we don't know is that giving certain kinds of flowers, and even their colors, actually have meanings of their own.

The Language Of Flowers

During medieval & Renaissance times, flowers were often given moral meanings. This can be widely seen in art where saints are often presented with flowers that represent or symbolize their virtues. In an edition of Sixteenth Century Journal, Liana DeGirolami Cheney stated 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."

Back in Victorian times, flowers were used initially 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 coded messages using flowers became popular. Based on a Turkish secret language of flowers, known as Persian Salaam, a coded flower arrangement could be sent to show feelings of attraction or even love.

Back in 1819, a book entirely about meanings 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 in Japan use the Hanakotoba code, and still use the flower-language in popular culture such as in films and animation, like the anime show "Wei Kreuz."

Well-Known Meanings Of Flowers

Buy or borrow a dictionary of flowers to see the different meanings and interpretations of flowers. Some of the most well-known flowers and their corresponding 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 noble thoughts Yellow tulip - hopeless love

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