Since the beginning of cultures and civilizations, flowers have had a huge role in all life sectors from the private to the public, and this touches on the religious, the ceremonial as well as on the profane. Flower meanings have been to the attention of many cultivated people throughout many ages; let's consider for a moment the Victorian age when people thought that flowers could convey messages and figurative meanings just as well as words. Color was an important factor for the flower meanings; hence the subtlety of the symbolism changed with the different hues.
Even nowadays the same thing stays valid; think of roses, and the way they change meaning with color. Red roses stand for passion and even lust, white roses for purity, bridal happiness and serenity, yellow roses work well in business flower arrangements whereas pink ones are the epitome of girlish dreams. Or another great example is that of lotus flower meanings of intellectual and spiritual superiority; in Asian cultures, the lotus flower is actually the symbol of the highest stage of enlightenment that a human being can get to. It is nonetheless true that depending on the culture and the geographical area, there are different flower meanings to be found.
Flowers have this great way of touching all range of emotions from beauty, timidity and expectations to good fortune, purity, love or felicity. Thus, the very common sunflowers can either stand for haughtiness or for respect, and such flower meanings very much depend on the context and the arrangement in which they are to be found. The iris is similarly famous for the plurality of symbols it is said to stand for; nevertheless, the most common association is the one originating in Greek mythology where the iris stood for divine messages.
From the many flower meanings, there are some common ones to be identified for several species: forget-me-nots and ivy both stand for faithful love, whereas lilies, white carnations and roses are the symbols of purity and unspoiled dreams. Many books have been written on the various significance levels attributed to certain flowers, and it is highly interesting to get to learn how a flower came to bear a symbolic charge. Most such beliefs are rooted in the early days of mankind, and they have been passed on from age to age until our very own times. Presently, though we are usually unaware of some deep flower meanings, we are still fascinated by their impact on both senses and mind.
Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Flowers for Years. For More Information on Flower Meanings, Visit His Site at FLOWER MEANINGS
