Why Flowers on Valentine's Day?
With so many holidays, each packed with a plethora of traditions, one sometimes has to wonder where all these traditions come from. For example, why are flowers the ultimate gift to give your sweetheart on Valentine's Day?
Flowers have been love tokens ever since ancient Rome. Bacchus, the God of joy and wine, and Venus, the Goddess of beauty and love, were both associated with flowers and their tie to romance. Even in the days of Solomon, rose was the primary flower linked with love.
Perhaps the popularity of rose as a love-flower came from a Roman myth of Cupid. According to the myth, Cupid was carrying sweet nectar in a vase when he spilled it on the ground, and roses grew from the spot of spilled nectar. Because Cupid was a God so heavily involved in love, it's no wonder that roses would also become connected to love.
Roses aren't the only flower linked to romance. The daisy, for example, is also a popular gift, and today it serves as a fortune teller: by picking off individual petals and saying, "He loves me, he loves me not," one can supposedly predict another's feelings. Incidentally, the daisy also originates in Roman mythology. According to the Romans, the daisy was a wood nymph until Vertumnus, the God of the Spring, saw her dancing and fell in love with her. When he went after her she grew frightened and cried out for the Gods to help her, so they saved her by turning her into a daisy.
Violets have a myth of their own as well. Venus supposedly saw a group of lovely women and asked her son, Cupid, if she was more lovely than they were. When Cupid refused to respond, she grew angry and beat the women until they turned blue and became violets.
Nowadays, these stories and legends have given each flower it's own individual meaning, making it easy to express one's emotions by sending just the right mix of different kinds of blossoms. While the rose is a symbol for love, different colors of the rose means different things: red is for passionate love, while yellow is for friendship. White lilies symbolize purity, periwinkle signifies early friendship, and forget-me-nots and tulips are symbols of true love.
Flowers have never been just pretty things to look at. They are packed with meanings and expressions of love, friendship, gratitude, or whatever the case may be. Giving flowers has always been the ultimate way to make a woman swoon. Now we know why to give flowers to loved ones on Valentine's day, but there's one thing we don't know: why not?
Most purchased/gifted flower arrangements for Valentine's Day
It's Valentine's Day and you're thinking of what to get you sweetheart, when suddenly "flowers!" pops into your head. Flowers are the most popular gift for lovers on Valentine's Day. In fact, giving flowers on this special holiday is a tradition from the 1700´s, when the Swede Charles II introduced the flower language to the Persians. But there are so many flowers to choose from… what kind of colorful bouquet should you get your sweetheart this year? Below is a list of the top five flowers that lovers send on Valentine's Day:
Roses. Easily the most popular flower for Valentine's Day is the rose – and it's no wonder! The tradition of giving roses to the one you love is so deeply rooted in Western culture that hardly any woman can smell an aromatic bouquet of roses without smiling and sighing with pleasure. They might seem cliché, but you don't have to stick to the common red-rose routine: there are over 150 kinds of rose to choose from!
Carnations. These darling flowers have a ruffled look, almost like Valentine lace, making them seem feminine and romantic – a perfect gift for any woman. Carnations are also popular because they're sold at discount prices (they're cheaper than roses). Much like the rose, carnations come in a wide variety of colors, allowing for some creativity in your traditional gift.
Lilies. These romantic flowers are elegant and classy, making your gift chic and luxuriant. Because they're not as common as the rose, but still just as romantic, this is a popular way to make your Valentine's gift unique and precious. Lilies come in a variety of colors, such as pink, white, orange, and red.
Alstoemeria. Your darling might not be able to say the name three times fast, but she can definitely appreciate the beauty of these delicate flowers. Alstroemeria is similar to the lily and is often called the "Peruvian Lily." Unlike the lily, however, the alstromeria is often spotted or variegated, guaranteeing that you gift will pack an extra punch of originality.
Tulips. Simple, elegant, romantic… what woman doesn't love tulips? There are more varieties of tulip than just about any other flower. You can give a bouquet of red, pink, and white flowers – a popular choice this time of year – or you can spice things up by mixing and matching any color you can imagine. With the tulip, you'll never be hard-pressed for ideas.