“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet. . .”
These words from Act II, Scene II of Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” may perhaps be some of the bard’s best-known lines. Alas, if only poor Romeo weren’t from Juliet’s rival house of Montague.
Ahh, love.
Love is definitely in the air during June because it’s National Rose Month. And, to celebrate, let’s take a look at rose symbolism, colors, and numbers, according to an article titled “Rose Flower Meaning and Symbolism,” which was posted July 20, 2016 on the FTD website.
I knew that different colors of roses carried symbolic meaning, but I didn’t know the number you send also has meaning. Let’s explore:
Red = love and romance.
Pink = gratitude, grace, admiration, and joy.
Orange = enthusiasm and passion.
White = innocence and purity.
Yellow = friendship.
I was especially interested to learn that yellow roses symbolize friendship, because Texas is known as “The Friendship State” and, of course, there’s the long-standing country song titled the “Yellow Rose of Texas.” (Hint to my husband if you’re reading this: Yellow roses are my favorite!)
And, according to FTD and the article titled “Meaning of Roses – From 1 to 100 Roses,” which was posted March 22, 2017 on Serenataflowers, you can send a certain romantic message by the number of roses you send. Who knew?
Let’s look at a dozen rose messages:
One = love at first sight.
Two = shared and deep love.
Three = “I love you.”
Four = “Nothing will come between us.”
Five = love for a special someone like a friend.
Six = “I want to be yours.”
Seven = “I’m infatuated with you.”
Eight = shows support for a friend or family member going through a stressful time.
Nine = eternal love.
Ten = “You’re perfect.”
Eleven = “You are my treasured one.”
Twelve = “Will you be mine?”
Now that you know some symbolism and meanings of roses, why not check out this article titled “10 Delightful Ways to Celebrate National Rose Month,” written by Rachel Kolman on www.1800flowers.com?
From visiting a rose garden to attending a rose festival, you’re sure to find some great ideas to celebrate National Rose Month. One of my favorite ideas in the author’s article is a recipe for rose water ice cream! I’m definitely going to try that this summer!