Love is a rose! Why is the rose the personification of love and what makes it the most suitable gift for Valentine’s Day?
The universal truth is that roses mean love! Stunning flowers embody feelings of passion, romance and love in their raw essence. From the pages of literary classics to Hollywood films, popular poets, writers and filmmakers illustrate the romantic meaning of the Red Rose through their creative work.
But how did it come to this, you ask? How did our civilization come to associate roses with the most wonderful feeling in the world?
We are about to take you on a journey through the history of how roses came to be known as the ultimate symbol of lasting and eternal love.
Faraway Legends
The humble beginnings of the red rose’s association with love occur in ancient Western mythology.
Greek legends tell us that red roses were the culmination of the love of the goddess of love, Aphrodite and Adonis, her mortal lover. After his tragic death, his blood mixed with her tears and became the birthplace of red roses. Thus, red roses are considered a symbol of love unto death, eternal love.
In Roman mythology, red and pink roses are associated with wealth, beauty and love. Goddesses and gods admired the enduring qualities of the rose and filled their bedrooms and bathrooms with petals and rose blossoms to create a pleasant experience and setting.
Finally, the early Christians believed that the rose represented the virtue of the Virgin Mary, who was also called “Our Lady of Roses.” The red flowers are said to have blushed when she kissed them in heaven
Sacred in Eastern traditions
There are also endless Eastern beliefs that associate red roses with love and romance.
As told in Hindu legends, Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of luck and prosperity and also the wife of Lord Vishnu, was created from 108 large and 1008 small rose petals. Vishnu loved his wife deeply, creating a strong connection between roses and romance.
In ancient Arabic tales, roses are believed to literally evoke the feeling of love in our hearts. One story goes that a nightingale fell in love with a white rose and began to sing its bird song. But in his tragic love sermon, the nightingale pressed his body against the rose and a thorn pierced its heart, turning the white rose red. The symbolism here shows the intensity of love that is associated with red roses.
During the Middle Ages
Did you know that roses are the national flower of England? In the 15th century, the Wars of the Roses began in England, when the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose, and the House of York, represented by a white rose, competed with each other to rule England.
William Shakespeare, one of England’s greatest writers, was also inspired by the rose. His play Romeo and Juliet contains one of the most popular references to love, symbolized by the rose. When Juliet says, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” she reminds Romeo that even though they come from rival houses, it shouldn’t matter because their love is true.
During the Victorian era, 1837-1901, the giving of flowers as gifts became more ritualistic. In fact, the Victorians practically invented the language of flowers as we know it today. The red rose symbolizes what it does today – the endurance of romantic love. Although modern roses have their thorns removed, the thornless rose in the Victorian era showed love at first sight.
Roses in modern times
In our modern age, roses remain an absolute expression of emotions, especially love and romance. And it is red roses that are the classic choice for all courtships, meetings and affirmations of love.
The ritual of giving roses to those you love and appreciate is the best language of expressing how you feel. For example, bright red roses symbolize romance, while burgundy and crimson red roses mean undying love.
The number of roses given also plays a big role in the message you are trying to convey. Here are the quantities that are most popular in our time and our rose variety suggestions:
1 rose: “Love at first sight” – Candy X-Pression
3 roses: “I love you” – Hearts
9 roses: “I support you and I’m by your side” – Violet hill
12 roses: „Be mine!“ – Candelight
15 roses: „Your love is a song“ – Be sweet
21 Roses: “I’m devoted to you“ – Silantoi
24 Roses: “You make me burn!” – Pink X-Pression
41 Roses: “My Love Is True” – Red Panter
99 roses: “I’ll love you till the end of the world” – Full Monty
101 roses: “To me you are everything” – Explorer
So, now you know why roses are the best Valentine’s Day gifts. They are an eternal expression of love rooted in history, culture and literature. There is simply no other gift that conveys the feelings of romance as perfectly as roses. Do you agree?
The article is based on material from: https://tessacorporation.com/
