Even if June is the middle of Summer and we're sweating it out because of the heat, we can still enjoy the beauty of Roses. Rose is the flower for June and June is the National Rose Month. What a way to celebrate the Summer with a cool walk into the garden or a park with the beautiful sight of roses and fragrance in the air
Blushing in full glory in all the 50 states, the rose, in a way, represents the American nation. It is the state flower of New York state; Iowa holds up the wild rose as the state flower, while North Dakota has adopted the prairie rose for itself. French explorer Samuel de Champlain brought the first cultivated roses to North America. From then on, the rose has come to represent the sentiments of the country and its variety. America as a nation has come to identify itself with the rose and its perennial symbolism of love, beauty, respect and courage. The rose was made the national flower by a House of Representative resolution in September 23, 1986. President Ronald Reagan signed up the resolution into law on October 7 with a ceremony in the White House rose garden.
Statistics show that the rose is by far the most favorite of America’s flowers for any occasion—from anniversaries to funerals, from expressing love to simple joy. A major part of the consumer industry flourishes on this flower—products are made from rose-oil to rose-wood. Every year in Texas, rose admirers have millions of roses for their eyes to feast upon. With the start of the use of plastic bags and cold storage facilities from the late 1950's, the rose-processing industry received a headstart. The rose industry in America sees a huge involvement of the women, for it requires in large measure very intricate skilled labor—from selecting, to pruning, to harvesting and packaging. In fact, cultivating roses is a round-the-year industry, for every rose in sight, is taken to the market for any number of occasions and events in the American calendar. The cosmetic market is flooded with a number of rose products from hair oil, shampoo, body lotion, face gel, nourishing cream, perfume etc. Rose is also a popular culinary product; used as exotic herb, it is added in food for flavor and nutrition.
For any occasion from Mother’s Day to Valentine’s Day or to say a simple “I love you”—the rose is the most favored form of conveying emotions. Often fresh-cut roses grown in the US are preserved in gold, silver or platinum, encased in specially carved wooden boxes, meant for special relations. The impression is always to believe that a rose is a gift forever—its color might fade, so may its fragrance. But what remains forever is the love and care it puts across. Bouquets are designed and sold for all occasions, each uniquely different. Each occasion has a different mood; each mood has a different set of collection. It has been statistically and psychologically proven that people, especially women react more genuinely to receiving flowers than to any other gift items. And here too, the rose scores above all the rest !
Ever wondered why you always got those dark crimson roses from your beloved or your spouse on Valentine’s Day or on your anniversary ? Do you know why people often carry white roses to funerals ? Remember how you longed for the bright yellow ones, in those out-of-the-world ecstatic moments ? Well, here’s the reason—each color of rose has a different story to tell and each story has a unique occasion. As the most enduring social emblem of beauty and love, roses inspire various feelings in both the receiver and the giver. And when it’s the month of June, you got to celebrate with these lovely roses of various shades to let your dear ones know how much you care. But why June ? Is that what you ask ? Well, June is the Rose Month—a month to sweeten up your sweetheart, warm up your buddies and cozy up to your folks at home with the roses or the rosy wishes !
Legend about the color of the rose can also be traced back to Roman myths. As Goddess Venus, the deity of love, grieved her lost beloved Adonis, white roses are said to have grown from her tears. Quite heart-rending that ! In Islam, the rose signifies the blood of Prophet Mohammed and his two sons. Some of the expressions symbolized by the different types of roses and their colors are:
Rose Symbols * red rose: love/ beauty/ courage/ respect
* a single red rose: to say "I love you"
* white rose: purity/ humility/ silence/ divinity
* white bridal rose: joyful love
* pink rose: state of grace/ gentility
* dark pink rose: praise/ thankfulness
* yellow rose: friendship/ joy/ promise of a new beginning/ rapture
* yellow rose with red tip: friendship/ feeling new love
* orange rose: exuberance/ desire
* red and white together: togetherness
* red and yellow together: delight and happiness
* peach rose: gratefulness, humility
* coral rose: desire
* lavender rose: love at first sight
* black rose: death/ bidding adieu
* blue rose: love beyond reach
* red rosebud: beauty and purity
* white rosebud: virginity
* thornless rose: to say "love at first sight"
* hybrid tea-rose: to say "you will always be there in my mind"
* two roses taped together: engaged and heralding marriage
A huge list, of course ! And interesting too ! Now that was for the roses. But did you know what the rosebuds signify ? Well, it’s said that the rosebuds stand for babies (young life) and are sometimes used at weddings (start of new life) and funerals (a closure) too. There are many stories about the colors of the roses. Each culture holds a unique story about the roses and their symbolism. But whatever the theories, just paint yourself in the colors of the rose when it’s the Rose Month !
Often referred to as the king or queen of flowers, the rose rules the world and hearts alike ! And for its colors and varieties the rose has many tales to tell. Here are a few that it has gathered for itself over the ages:
Rose Trivia * Greek legend has it that red roses grew from the blood of Adonis, who was killed by a wild boar during a hunt. A red rose in Greece also signifies the growth and decay of life. This metaphor has been widely used in the history of western literature, one of the examples being “The Romance of the Rose”.
* Red rose is dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, daughter of Zeus. Aphrodite is the Goddess of love. May be, red roses symbolize love and passion in this connection !
* In Homer, there is reference to the rose as the “queen of flowers”
* It said that the floors of Cleopatra’s palace were decorated with delicate rose petals.
* Confucius had a 600 book library on how to take care of roses.
* In the Medieval Ages, the red rose stood for Christ’s blood, while the white one for Virgin Mary.
* Did you know that the world's oldest living rose is a good 1000 year old, still growing heartily on the walls of Hildesheim cathedral in Germany ?
* Napoline's wife Josephine was obsessed with the rose. She grew nearly 300 varieties.
* French explorer Samuel de Champlain brought the first cultivated roses to North America.
* The oil-bearing roses come from the rose valley in Bulgaria. Gathering rose-oil there is an annual national festival.
* The instrument indicating the wind direction to mariners, aviators and campers is the compass rose. The intersection of all the 32 wind directions takes the shape of a traditional Chinese rose.
* Running through the poles, the Greenwich Meridian is called the Rose Line.
Labels: ecards, floral wishes, rose month
Hi! I'm back with heart fully bloomed with the spirit of festive. How was your Christmas? It was a perfect blast at my end, with all my friends and relatives together. Now it's the time of New Year that is right around the corner.
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