Did you know that the cut flower market is expected to reach a staggering $41.1 billion by 2027? This forecast is a clear testament to the importance and value that flowers bring to our daily lives. Just in the US, online flower shops now enjoy a market size of 5.1 billion, meaning that we are giving flowers as a gift, especially on occasions like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, very much alive.
By now, it’s common to associate roses with wooing someone and carnations with mothers, but why not dive a little deeper into their different flower meanings? Behind a flower’s beauty, there’s a world of sentiments, meanings, and emotions that we spread to those we love.
Let’s take a look at the art of gifting flowers for special occasions, their cultural influences, and what’s the history behind their meaning.
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Red, red—Love!
Inevitably, Inevitably, when we think of Valentine’s day, our partner’s birthday, or just wanting to pamper our significant other—we go straight for roses. But, how have roses actually become the universal symbol of love? Dating back to Greek and Roman mythology, it was believed that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, created roses. Her tears and her lover Adonis’ blood watered the ground from where this flower bloomed and represented undying love. Others believe that roses were the virtue of the Virgin Mary, making them the ultimate symbol of love and romance.
To this day, roses—or red roses, to be specific, are used when courting someone, when there’s a relationship established, and overall to celebrate eternal love.
Mother’s Day Carnations
We’ve all been there: When May starts rolling in, we usually head to our local flower shop or order a lovely bouquet online to send to the most influential women in our lives—our moms! On every Mother’s Day, there’s always a carnation arrangement insight, making it the official Mother’s Day symbol.
It all started back in 1905 in West Virginia when Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother’s Day in the US, lost her mother. Completely consumed in grief and sorrow, she held a memorial at her mother’s church. During this service, she passed out 500 white carnations (her mother’s favorite flower) to all the mothers in attendance. The rest is history.
Read More: Why You Should Get Your Mom Flowers This Mother’s Day?
Wedding Flowers
Flowers have been around for many, many centuries, present in different types of celebrations. Weddings are no exception; brides carrying a bouquet is something that dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times to ward off bad luck during weddings. The flowers then represented rebirth, fertility, and overall happiness, which we still hold dear to this day.
Some of the wedding favorites just happen to bloom in the springtime, such as the lovely peonies. Next time you’re at a wedding, take a look around, and you’ll likely spot these beauties on an elegant centerpiece decoration or even playfully adorning the bridal bouquet.
Read More: Types of Flowers for Wedding
Tis the Season to Get – Poinsettia!
Surely you’ve been around several Poinsettia arrangements around winter time, associating the flower directly with Christmas and end-of-the-year holidays. Although they’re originally from the rocky canyons of Guatemala and Mexico, the flower was first introduced to the US in 1827. Their association with Christmas began after being popularly introduced in nativity scenes decorations all across Mexico and the US, becoming the most popular flower for Thanksgiving and Christmas floral arrangements.
No matter the occasion, flowers have and will always accompany us to help bring life, sentiment and build memories on our special days. For more ideas on arrangements or flowers to gift in the upcoming holidays, browse our Gift Ideas by Occasion catalog and order your bouquet online today.
