Roses, tulips, daisies; flowers are a sentiment that has been used dating all the way back to Ancient Greece, Rome, China and even Egypt. Flowers are mesmerizing, enchanting, decorative and when they are given from one person to another, it communicates the deepest feelings in one of the most elegant manners possible. Generically, flowers symbolize love and care whether it be for the eloquence of gratitude towards a friend or the undying love for a person. However, they can mean an array of emotions such as joy, sympathy as well as express a sincere apology.
Flowers are directly linked to a person’s happiness and there’s a science to back it up. Not only is the delight immediate, but it is also long term! Receiving flowers, growing flowers, giving flowers and even admiring them from afar. can help relieve stress, lifts the spirit and even ease away symptoms of depression and anxiety. They trigger your brain’s happy chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin as well as the sense that something special is on its way. Through oxytocin, often called the “love hormone”, flowers are associated with trust and empathy as well as relationship building. Serotonin, a contributor to wellness and happiness, can be released through even just the thought of flowers. They help stimulate the feeling of pride and excitement.
Every single culture has its own meaning for each species of flowers and the colour that corresponds to a specific feeling or matter. If it's down to specifics then there are flowers for every occasion, the number of flowers you give sometimes even matters, the gender whom you are giving it to, the scent the flower gives off and even the way it is handed over makes all the difference. For example, during the Victorian Era, expressing feeling through word was considered rude and to counter this, they gave bouquets of flowers instead. To give someone a bouquet of flowers upside down meant that the receiver was sure to be angry. To receive upside-down flowers is to show that you were angry.
It really does leave an impression when flowers are involved in the first interaction of any kind of relationship. It is simple, easy and yet it is so complex because of the meaning and thought behind it. So next time you’re trying to leave a good mark on someone, consider bringing flowers as they will never forget the gesture.
“Dead people receive more flowers than the living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude” - Anne Frank
