“What's in a name? That which we call a rose;
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 scene 2
The importance of the role of roses on Valentine's Day cannot be understated. The rose is a classic and as a highly symbolic representation on the day dedicated to love, the question of its colour becomes even more important. Many of the symbolic meanings behind flowers and their colours are derived from Victorian times, when language-of-flowers dictionaries flourished, as people do not feel at ease to verbally express certain deep passionate feelings. The red rose has been the traditional favourite but in modern times, people want to select roses of other colours as they seek a more unique and personal touch. Let us learn about the different meanings each colour represents before we make the trip to the florist!
Generally, all
Red roses symbolize desire and passion, but even subtle variations can have different symbolic meaning.
Amaranth red roses symbolize long-standing desire while
Cardinal red refers to a sublime mode.
Burgundy has been matched with unconscious beauty while
Fiery red represents flame of passion.
If you want to send flowers to someone of a platonic friendship, then you may get some
Yellow roses. They are the messengers of joy and happiness, representing care and empathy and the promise of a faithful friendship. However, do not invite misunderstandings through ambiguity. The
Yellow rose with the Red tip should not be given easily, as it indicates a friendship evolving to romantic love.
White roses signify purity, innocence and reverence and are hence commonly used in weddings. A
Pink rose can hold many meanings.
Darker Pink roses convey gratitude and appreciation while a
Lighter shade of
Pink could show admiration, sympathy or joy. You may put
White and
Pink roses together as a gesture of platonic love and admiration for the other party.
Orange roses express enthusiasm, desire or even fascination whereas
Coral roses usually just imply desire.
Lavender roses symbolize love at first sight and enchantment while shades of
Purple roses are meant to exude a sense of majestic beauty as purple is often associated with royalty.
Moving on from royalty, we step into the realms of fantasy and mythology as we explore the final two colours of roses. They are so intertwined because neither
Black nor
Blue roses occur naturally, so both are artificially created by florists or gardeners through drying or dyeing.
Black has traditionally been symbolic of death so it is often regarded as a bad omen. However, because after death may a new life begins, so it also signals rejuvenation. It is advised not to use the
Black rose for purposes other than a gag gift as it will often be misinterpreted and scare or offend someone. On the contrary, the
Blue rose is widely considered as the “holy grail” of all colours of roses and symbolizes fantasy, impossibility and miracles. It is so prized for its elusiveness that scientists are still looking ways to genetically engineer this flower.
Sending roses has been one of the best ways to express feelings too difficult or shy to be expressed in words. By paying more thought in choosing their colours, you are able to convey messages, which are not just steeped with emotions, but backed by history. After going through this crash course, you should no longer be blissfully ignorant about what the different colours of roses mean and you can be well prepared to find those that best suit the occasion and the person you are sending them to.
