Valentine’s Day: Let the Flowers Do the Talking!

To all of the lovers and those who wish to become lovers: Pay attention, on February 14^th is Valentine’s Day! We’ll explain why and how to celebrate as well as give you tips on how to choose the right flowers. Let the flowers do the talking!

Valentin was the Priest of Lovers

It is considered the day of lovers. With a wink, it is said that the florists of the world invented Valentine’s Day to boost business. But we know better. This holiday has a long history. One belief is that it goes back to a historical figure. According to tradition, Valentin was a third-century priest in Rome. He was said to have given flowers from his garden to newlyweds. It is also said that the marriages he made were often happy. Unfortunately, his fate was not so fortunate. By imperial decree, soldiers had to remain unmarried. However, Valentin still married them according to the Christian faith. Consequently, Emperor Claudius II had him allegedly beheaded on February 14^th, 269. Valentine became a martyr and was henceforth considered the patron saint of lovers.

Love’s Bliss Through the Goddess Juno

According to other sources, in ancient Rome, on February 14^th flowers were used as an offering to the goddess Juno, the protector of marriage and family. In her honor young women were given flowers. Young girls went to the temple of the goddess to hear a prophecy of who they will marry. The Roman festival of Lupercalia was celebrated on February 15^th. This was a purification and fertility festival in honor of the god Faunus, who was nicknamed Lupercus, the wolf repeller. Among other things, it was customary for young, unmarried men to draw slips of paper with the names of unmarried girls in order to find a match. Flowers given as gifts are said to have played a role in their courtship. Another origin of the celebration of Valentine’s Day lies in the mating behavior of birds since their mating season begins in mid-February.

Beautiful Customs Around Love

At some point, the old Roman customs were combined with the history of the Christian priest. In the Middle Ages, for example, it was said that a girl would marry the person she first saw on Valentine’s Day. As a result, young men who wanted to get married brought bunches of flowers to the object of their affection as early as possible on the morning of Valentine’s Day. In the 14th century the “Valentine greetings” appeared in England. During this time, love letters were sent anonymously. In France, “Valentin” and “Valentine” were even drawn by lot and symbolically promised to each other for one year. This is when people began to revere the priest Valentin as the patron saint of lovers.

Flowers: A Symbol of Love for 2000 Years

Lovers have been giving each other flowers as a sign of their affection on this day for about 2000 years. Even today, February 14^th is a busy day for nurseries and flower shops. Flowers are the most popular Valentine’s Day gift, along with sweets, romantic cards and small gifts. But be careful, or you might put your foot in it. If you want to send floral greetings to your loved one, you should think carefully about the selection beforehand. Different flowers and colors have very specific meanings.

The Language of Flowers

A language of flowers exists. It originated in the Orient. There, plants were assigned special meanings very early on. In the 18th century Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, an English writer, enraptured Europe with a flower code from her stay in Instanbul. It soon was common to send little messages to each other with the help of floral arrangements. At that time, it was considered extremely inappropriate for lovers to tell each other clearly and directly to their faces how they felt about each other. Thus, flowers were discovered as a means of non-verbal communication. A complex system of signs developed from this. Not only the plant itself is important, but often also the color, the number in the bouquet and the type of vase.

Flowers and Their Meaning

We have put together the most romantic flowers and their meaning for you:

• Red Rose: You are my great love.
• Gerbera: You make the world more beautiful for me.
• Forget-me-not: Think of me.
• Calla: You are the most beautiful to me.
• Violet: I am in love with you, but shy.
• Jasmine: You are adorable.
• Cornflower: I’m not giving up hope.
• Anemone: I want to be with you.
• Fire Lily: I am burning with passion for you.
• Lily of the valley: I carry your image in my heart.
• Phlox: Stay with me forever.
• Red Tulip: My love will last forever.
• Cornflower: I will never give up hope.
• Edelweiss: You’re beautiful.
• Hibiscus: You’re a delicate beauty.

But be careful with these flowers:

• Dahlia: I’m already spoken for.
• Mallow: I appreciate you as a friend
• Yellow carnation: I despise you.
• Blue Rose: It’s impossible with us.
• Yellow daffodil: You are vain.
• Gladiolus: Don’t be so proud.
• Hydrangea: You’re quite conceited.

Armed with this knowledge, you should now be able to put together the perfect bouquet for the one you adore.

We wish you a magical Valentine’s Day!

Cover: living4media / Strauss, Friedrich / 00853417