Love is in the Air

Love is in the air.  Let’s take some relaxing moments and talk about love and reminisce the good times.

Just a few more days before Valentine’s Day, when people get crazy to celebrate their love. Love, according to an unknown author is a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. Wow!  Indeed, very descriptive.

Anyway, I just want to share with you one of the so many ways of how people express their love and I believe the oldest method of expressing love.  That is, giving of flowers.

Did you know that apart from roses, there are other flowers that send love messages?  Gardenias mean, you are lovely! Tulips declare, “You are my perfect mate”. Carnation may be a sign of love and bravery as well as a symbol of friendship because it keeps its color till it dies.  Today, pink carnations mean “I’ll never forget you”.
Associating flowers with feelings have been practiced centuries ago.  During the 15^th century, the hopelessly smitten would pick off petals form any flower to discover whether “he loves me or he loves me not”.   The last petal plucked off would indicate whether the object of her affection returns the love or not.  Medieval  knights can include a daisy in their coat-of-arms if the lady they love signified the same affection.  

Honeysuckle was and is still is a symbol of permanence and steadfastness.  The sensuous fragrance of honeysuckle is associated with steamy, romantic summer nights.

 

 

Lily of the valley is very popular to boys and girls in Europe in May.  At this time of the year, dances are held and the bell-like flower was believed to bring good fortune in love.

 

 

 

 

Love-in-a-mist is a blue or white flower also known as “Maiden in the Country”, “Bride’s Hair”, and “Brush Off”.  In the olden days if a lady handed an admirer love-in-a-mist, it means “Leave me alone.”  If she wanted an admirer to pack his bags, she would put the love-in-a-mist in a covered basket and send this to the unlucky recipient. The love-in-a-mist has become a symbol of unrequited love.

 

 

Myrtle is a delicate white flower that symbolizes beauty, youth, and love that is why a lot of brides choose myrtle for their wedding bouquet.  Some believe that those who lost their lives due to their “insane” love  were  turned into myrtle groves in the underworld.  Thus,  myrtle symbolizes love that lasts beyond death. 

Princess Kate chose myrtle as one of the flowers for her wedding bouquet.

 

 

Rosemary, a fragrant herb is said to aid memory.  In the past, young ladies would give their sweethearts a sprig to symbolize “remember me”.  A symbol of  fidelity, love, and unwavering devotion, Ann of Cleves, the fourth wife of  Henry VIII, wore a crown of rosemary.  She hoped that the popular saying “A bride’s bouquet of rosemary makes love evergreen” would hold true.

 

 

 

There you have it, several flowers to choose from you to express your love and to understand what someone wants to tell you when you receive these flowers. 

However, let me remind you that Valentine’s Day is not just for sweethearts. We, single moms, if we do not and are not planning to have another love relationship, can give flowers to our loved ones like our kids to express how dearly we love them.  I give red and white roses together to my kids.  This means unity in relationship.  Close friends receive Carnation from me.

Advance Happy Valentine’s Day everyone J