Speaking of Love – Don’t Forget Flowers for Valentine’s Day
Imagine having an intimate conversation with someone you love. Now imagine how that conversation would occur without speaking, or even writing. Imagine finding someone you’d very much like to know better. Suppose they’re interested in you as well. Imagine getting that relationship off the ground without using words of any kind.
That was the situation during much of the 1800′s in Victorian England. Extreme discretion was required. Emotional expression, especially if it was romantic in nature, was strictly taboo. Such thoughts couldn’t even be whispered or written down. As a result people soon found other ways to express their thoughts and feelings. One popular way was to attach special meanings to flowers.
As a result, secret meanings were given to every type and color of flower. Bouquets became secret messages. An exchange of flowers became a conversation without words. The way the flowers were presented and the way they were accepted also added meaning. Many secret messages were romantic in nature, but some were rejections or insults.
Small bouquets of mixed flowers, know as tussie-mussies, became quite popular. Together with the secret language of flowers, they allowed intentions to be declared, and refusals and acceptances to be made. They allowed the expression of wishes, thoughts and emotions that people of the time dared not speak aloud.
Eventually the symbolism became so complex that help was needed to decipher the messages. Dictionaries and even whole books were written to ensure that the messages were properly conveyed and clearly understood.
The Victorians weren’t the first to use flowers to express emotions. Many cultures including the Greeks, the Persians, and the Japanese had a flower language. While the exact meanings of flowers have changed over time to meet the needs of culture, the desire to express thoughts and emotions through flowers has remained to this day.
Lengthy and elaborate courtship rituals were used in many cultures. Gifts of flowers were typically an important part of that process. Those practices led directly to the use of flowers in today’s society, not just for courtship but for important holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter among others. These holidays wouldn’t be the same without the use of plants and flowers.
Like the Victorians, we still use flowers to express our emotions. Unlike them, our messages are typically much simpler. For Valentine’s Day this year, instead of sending a simple message, try a bouquet of mixed flowers for a message full of hidden meaning. Search online for “language of flowers” for some great ideas. Be sure to add a note to the bouquet to explain the deeper message. Don’t forget to order your Valentine’s flowers early to ensure a timely delivery.
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