Today, flowers are almost synonymous with Valentine’s Day. What better way, after all, to celebrate love but with a beautiful bouquet of blooms? But flowers haven’t always been traditional gifts for this Cupid’s special day. Although the roots of the Feb. 14 may date back to Ancient Rome, and the association with love and romance started in the 1300’s, flowers didn’t become part of Valentine’s Day until the late 17th century.
Here are four interesting facts about flowers and Valentine’s Day.
Roses are the favourite
This will surprise almost no one – red roses are the Valentine’s Day floral choice. But what is a bit shocking is the degree to which they are the bloom of choice. In the US, flowers account for 36% of Valentine’s Day purchases, which in Canada total about $37 million a year. That’s a lot of roses!
Count the stems
Turns out, there can be some hidden messages in how many roses you decide to send. A single stem can signal that you are “the only one”, while three signifies those three important words, “I love you”. While a dozen red roses are common, eleven can actually send the message that the sender is the missing rose in the bouquet.
In love with a Dane?
Although the rose clearly reigns supreme in North America, in Denmark, the Snowdrop has become the flower of choice for the holiday of love. As the first flower to bloom after winter, you can imagine it can have some symbolic meaning for new love especially. And it usually comes with a "gaekkebrev" – a letter with a funny rhyme or poem in it.
Send to yourself
If you’re single when Valentine’s Day comes along (like 12.5 million other Canadians over the age of 15), don’t fret – you can still get flowers. The Statistic Brain Research Institute says 14% of women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day. Not only do you get to pick the flowers you like the most, but you can also write yourself a lovely note about why you love you.
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