No custom helps in expressing human emotions in a better manner than gifting flowers or bouquets. People often go to a florist to purchase flowers for all occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, to wish well to someone, to apologize, or just to lift one’s drooping spirits.
Some people think that this custom started way back during prehistoric times with excavators discovering proof of its existence at ancient sites. Traditional Greek mythology, Chinese stories and history surrounding the Romans and Egyptians all display that flowers had a very important role to play in their culture. These ancient civilizations considered giving flowers to be an effective means of communication of one’s thoughts and feelings. Greek mythology is filled with mentions of certain flowers that were thought to be representations of gods and goddesses.
The custom of gifting flowers passed down to the Middle Ages, with the French and the English keeping the custom strong. The modern custom of giving a meaning to each flower is believed to have been imported to Europe after the French and the British experienced it in Turkey.
The custom of flower gifting reached new heights in the Victorian era. Victorians, as we know, never expressed their emotions publicly and thus the custom of gifting flowers or bouquets was considered a great means to communicate feelings without using a lot of words.
The Victorians devised many rules for giving flowers or bouquets and stuck to them with great zeal. For example, if you purchased an elegant bouquet of red roses from the florist and gave it to your beloved upside down, she will surely be angry with you. Red roses, that otherwise symbolize love, can symbolize anger if presented upside down. These rules were so in fashion that in the 19th century, a lot of books about the language of flowers were written and extensively read.
This custom continues till the present day, where people gift flowers to others to express their feelings. Today we have arrived at a point where meaning is attributed to many flowers, and preset guidelines in this tradition are more important than they ever were. Gifting red roses is still seen as a passionate exhibition of love, and white lilies are believed to represent purity and elegance. A yellow coloured rose is believed to be a representation of friendship, on the other hand grief is best expressed by a lone marigold.
Any tract of land can be made suitable for cultivating any flower, thanks to modern science and technology. Any good Singapore flower shop will offer a plethora of flower varieties that are both local and exotic in nature, and are appropriate for communicating your intimate feelings in the most elegant manner.
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