Flowers Meaning Around The World

"When you pick a flower, you are touching us with the past, so to speak, and repeating a timeless gesture. What man, since Adam, has not looked admiringly at these beauties, or held a bloom in his hand at one time?

Since the beginning, flowers have held places in man's heart and his abode. Greeks and Romans outdid each other in the lavish use of flowers. Their banquet floors were strewn, ankle-deep, with flowers and floral scents filled the air because of a belief that their fragrance purified the atmosphere and minimized intoxication.

Housewives in the olden days, like their modern counterparts, saved on marketing money to buy a nosegay or a bunch of roses for the house. The scented helleborne was preferred because it was used to break the spells of witches and magicians.

Even ruthless conquerors, mighty kings, and skeptic philosophers had their gentle moments among their flowering plants florist japan. Of the ancient kings, the Aztec Montezumas were fervent flower lovers and maintained a kingly garden of exotic plants. When Montezuma, the younger, was conquered, his entire kingdom was wrested from him. One historical account said ""Poor Montezuma... The entire story of gardening does not afford a more pathetic picture than this great emperor begging that before his life will be taken, he be allowed to see his flowers once again.""

Persians favored the rose and the narcissus blossoms. One Caliph named El-Mutavekkel so passionately loved roses that on every blooming season, he reportedly wore nothing but rose-colored clothes and had his carpets sprinkled with rose water.

The Indians were likewise flower children. Samarkand was known for its vast tulip fields while Lahore was given entirely to rose planting. When lilacs bloomed, flower rites were held during which time the streets were covered with narcissus and tulip flowers. They dedicated the month of June to the rose while July was devoted to the lotus, India's reigning flower.

And because flowers were essential to the lives of men, flowers stood as symbols of nations. The rose was the national emblem of England, Honduras and Iran while some others are: Italy - Lily, Japan - Chrysanthemum, Russia - Sunflower, Brazil - Cattleya, etc.

Various messages were also conveyed by flowers. The red carnation means ""my heart aches for you,"" in which case the recipient may either answer ""I confess my love' by sending a moss rose bud, or foil the design by sending a dried up white rose which is a way of saying ""you leave me cold.""

Nowadays, amorous admirers signify ""I love you"" by having the florists deliver three long stemmed red roses to the girl.

Other symbolisms attached to flowers are: azalea for temperance, sunflower flowers to japan for false riches, wallflower.1or fidelity in adversity, scarlet poppy for fantastic extravagance, blue violet for modesty, etc. A rather peculiar connotation affixed to the Aztec marigold is that of ""vulgar mind.""
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