Do you like flowers? I do! And when someone gives me a bunch of flowers, I'm always really happy. But did you know that different flowers have different meanings? In other words, when you give someone a particular flower, you're sending them a message.
One well-known example is the red rose. A red rose means 'I love you'. So if you want to tell your boyfriend or girlfriend that you love them, buy them some red roses!
But what about other flowers? Well, the white lily means 'innocence' so it's often used at weddings. The daisy means 'loyalty' so it's a nice flower to give to a friend. And the yellow tulip means 'hopeless love', which is quite sad.
Of course, not everyone knows the meaning of every flower. But there are some flowers that most people recognise. For example, the poppy is a symbol of war and peace. It's worn on Remembrance Day in November to remember soldiers who died in the First World War. And the sunflower is a symbol of happiness. When you see a sunflower, you automatically feel happier!
But why are flowers so important? One reason is that they're beautiful. People have always loved flowers for their colours and their smell. But flowers are also a way of expressing our feelings. When we don't know how to say something, we can use flowers instead. They're like a secret language that everyone understands.
In fact, this idea goes back thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, for example, people decorated their homes with flowers. And in ancient Greece, people used flowers in religious ceremonies. They believed that flowers were a gift from the gods.
But it was in Victorian times that the language of flowers became really popular. At that time, people didn't often talk about their feelings. Instead, they sent each other flowers. There were books and dictionaries of flowers, which explained the meaning of each flower. People used these books to send secret messages. For example, if you received a bunch of red tulips, it meant that someone loved you. But if you received a bunch of yellow tulips, it meant that they didn't love you!
The language of flowers was very complicated. It wasn't just the type of flower that had a meaning. The number of flowers was important too. For example, one rose meant 'love at first sight'. But twelve roses meant 'be my boyfriend or girlfriend'.
These days, we don't use the language of flowers in the same way.
We prefer to say what we feel!
But flowers are still an important part of our lives. They're used in weddings and funerals, and we often give them as presents.
And even if we don't know the meaning of every flower, we all understand the message of a single red rose.
Sarah Catherine
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