Red roses are a timeless symbol of romantic love
Red roses are one of the world’s most quintessential symbols of romantic affection. They are the classic Valentine’s Day gift, and a perfect present for your sweetheart on your anniversary.
But have you ever stopped to wonder where roses come from? Or perhaps why we even give each other roses at all.
Why do we love roses so much?
Roses are native to several of the world’s temperate climates, with the largest concentration originating from Asia, and smaller numbers from the Northwest of Africa, North America, and Europe. These cultures have all been deeply influenced by roses’ soft, sweet fragrance and vibrant colours, and few colours are as powerful as red.
In days past these lovely flowers were used as a code of communication. While your gift of a semi-bloomed auburn red cultivar is unlikely to be correctly interpreted as representing the appropriate parental love between a mother and son by anyone other than the staunchest flower fundies, it’s still worth considering what different kinds of red roses have meant in the past, in order to help us express ourselves in our modern times.
Flowers are sublime in their expressiveness, and they have an incredible power to give a tangible essence to a message. However, unlike in the days of colour-coded flower messages, today the flowers are meant to accompany the message, and not to be the message themselves.
Is red the colour of love?
Red is the most quintessential of all the colours of roses. In fact, variations of the word “rose” means pink or red in several languages, such as Greek, and the Romance languages.
Red is the colour of the blood that flows through the heart, and red roses have for thousands of years been associated with love.
Love’s complexity and nuance demands true subtly of communication. Fortunately, there are cultivars of red roses whose appearances match almost any message that you may wish to convey. But remember: the rose can only help to communicate the message, and none of these interpretations are set in stone.
Some ideas of when to gift a red rose
A deep, blood red rose is the perfect symbol of passionate, romantic love. It is powerful, bold, and yet delicate, sweet and beautiful. A single red rose given to one’s sweetheart is considered to be the classic Valentine’s Day gift for exactly this reason.
Two red roses tied together have in the past been used to symbolise an engagement, and this could make a thoughtful and expressive engagement present for a special couple in your life.
Some special cultivars of red roses display a deep, crimson hue. These dark flowers are an ideal gift for a loved one in mourning, along with some consoling words and hopefully a warm hug.
While red roses are most often exchanged between new lovers, they are also a beautiful and meaningful gift choice for an anniversary, or just to surprise your spouse at the end of a long day. The red rose of love has thorns to protect itself from the pressures of the outside world, and yet its petals are so delicate as to deserve the most tender care.
Should you say it with a rose?
But always remember, it’s not what you say; it’s how you say it. A rose by any other name may still smell as sweet, but if you don’t express your feelings honestly and truly, then you can’t expect a flower to do it for you.
Tell him or her that you love them; because they deserve to hear it. Say it with a red rose, and they’ll never forget it.
Call Eros Florist today to get a red, red rose for that special person who deserves it.