Many people typically associate roses with romance. It is usually depicted in the media and practically portrayed in real life as a romantic expression. What is the meaning and symbolism behind these beloved flowers?
Roses are personally one of my favorite flowers. I loved the idea displayed in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 54 which compared roses’ prevailing scent to everlasting inward beauty.
Interestingly, there is more meaning to roses in both their quantity and color. The significance of red roses stemmed from Roman and Greek Mythology. According to Venus et Fleur, when the goddess of love lost her lover, Adonis, she turned roses red. Therefore, the red rose “has come to symbolize a love that is true, everlasting, pure, and unconditional.”
Red roses not only carry significance, but so do other colors. Orange represents a zest for life while yellow roses symbolize affection and friendship. Purple roses refer to royalty while white roses symbolize purity and pink represent admiration or gratitude.
This came as a surprise to me, but the quantity of roses also holds value. The number of roses you give someone also represents something. Serenata Flowers explains the meaning behind roses from 1 to 100.The website explains that giving someone a single rose represents “love at first sight.” Presenting someone with three roses is like sending the message that you love someone. Surprisingly, the odd number of eleven roses denotes the expression “you are my treasured one.”
While roses are a traditional way to express love during holidays like Valentine’s Day, there is so much more meaning behind them!