Feature

Say it with a rose

ROSE is an emblem of beauty. It is supposed to be the prettiest gift of nature. The history of using rose, as a tool of symbolism is well known to all. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified rose as a sign of their goddesses. In Rome, wild roses were used as the sign of secrecy. The phrase “Sub Rosa” or “under the rose” which means to keep secret is derived from the earliest Roman practices. Roses are found in a variety of hues. Red roses are common although pink, white, yellow, orange, lavender and peach roses are also easily available in nature. The meaning of each color of a rose originated from the ancient period. Jack Goody, an expert in this field, argued in his book, “The culture of flowers” that the culture of giving meaning to the flowers originally came from the East and some meanings are universally accepted. He also mentioned about floriography- the art of speaking with flowers originated in Persia where uneducated women of the Ottoman seraglios used flowers to communicate as written language was outlawed. Though the precise meanings are gone astray to us for all the different multitude flowers, we still use rose to convey our inner feelings to someone.

A red rose is well known as a symbol of love. But a bouquet of red and white roses stands for unity. Red rose bud means “pure and lovely” and white rose bud implies “girlhood” or “too young to love”. A single rose indicates simplicity and a bouquet of full-bloomed roses signifies “gratitude”. Red rose is also used to show passion, respect and courage. White roses have several meanings such as “innocence and purity”, “secrecy” and “silence”. Giving white rose means that the sender's intentions are pure and innocent. Pink roses are charming gifts for anyone. It in general stands for elegance.

Light pink rose signifies admiration and sympathy while the deep pink rose stands for gratitude and appreciation. So pink rose can be the finest pick if anyone wants to send an expression of happiness, sweetness, gratitude or admiration. Yellow roses are used as a sign of friendship. A bouquet of yellow roses is perfect for a new mother. Yellow rose also stands for gladness, delight and joy. It is also perfect to welcome the new beginnings. Orange roses are also available in nature. Orange or coral colored roses stands for eagerness and desire. Bright orange is a color of warmth, affection and liveliness. Giving an orange rose means the aspiration and fervor that the sender feels for the recipient. Coral rose speaks best wishes for a new couple. Light purple or lavender colored rose is a stunning one. The light purple will be a good choice if any one wants to express love at first sight. Lavender rose is considered as a brilliant choice to express the intensity of love. Beautiful peach roses mean sincerity, appreciation, gratitude, and modesty. These stunning blooms are ideal to say ‘thank you’. Peach rose is also used to express how much one misses one's friend or a dear one. One of the most exceptional one is the blue rose. Though absolute blue rose does not occur in nature, it is one of the most talked about and concentrated on in literature. The quest for blue rose goes on and in recent years, blue rose have been grown using genetic engineering. Blue rose means mystery because of its exclusivity in the nature. It also stands for something that is difficult to achieve. Blue rose also means extraordinarily superb. A truly wonderful personality is what the blue rose says about. Some times the darkest red roses are called ‘black rose’. Black rose is often used to mean death. However, it also has a positive meaning such as the rebirth or the new beginning. If two roses are taped with a ribbon then it will indicate an engagement or marriage. A deep burgundy rose stands for ‘unconscious beauty’. On the other hand, rose leaves are known as the symbol of hope. So which one are you planning to give to your loved ones this valentines'? If you are thinking about them just go pick up the rose that describes your feeling the most. And say it with a rose.