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Floriography: the Language of Flowers |
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| Sending
these bright and seemingly cheerful daffodils may convey
mixed messages, to say the least. |
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The other day I said to my husband, "The sun is
always shining when I'm with you." He said absolutely nothing
in response. Okay, I didn't actually speak those words; rather,
I brought home some daffodils. Had he known the language of
flowers, he would have understood the compliment. |
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But wait, maybe he does understand and took the daffodils to
mean that I think he's conceited. No wonder he didn't say anything!
Instead, he'll probably give me a bouquet of yellow roses to
say, "Try to care more." Of course, those yellow roses
might also be intended to mean "freedom", a hint that
he wants to leave me. |
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These are the kinds of pickles that
await those who practice floriography, the language of flowers.
For thousands of years, flowers have had meanings associated
with religious and cultural events, ceremonies and myths. But
it was the Victorians who took flower symbolism to the next
level, as it were, creating a complex system of flower meanings. |
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It is said that during the Victorian
era (approximately 1837 to 1901), flowers were used to convey
sentiments that couldn't be expressed verbally because of the
restrained social atmosphere of that time. I'm not convinced
this is the whole story, considering some of the racier aspects
of those days that have come to light. I also suspect floral
messaging may have become a faddish activity among high-society
types with a bit too much time on their hands. |
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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