The month of June is about celebrating one of our favorite flowers – the rose. Not only does this cherished bloom have the privilege of being the official birth flower of the first month of summer, but June 12th is also Red Rose Day, a day which gives one rose a special place of honor. The esteemed position of the rose as the reigning queen of the floral kingdom is not new – Throughout history, roses have been sought after by all levels of society, but most notably the rich, royal and powerful. Here are some interesting facts about the iconic rose.
Greeks & Romans both adored the rose, which had ties to both Aphrodite and Venus. But it was the Roman emperor Nero who made roses the stuff of legend – he was rumored to shower thousands of pounds of rose petals on top of his guests in a show of wealth and excess.
The Egyptian queen Cleopatra had her bedroom completely covered with rose petals, sometimes many inches deep. Her intent was to make her love interest Marc Antony think of her when ever he traveled abroad and smelled a rose.
The rose has been tied to the Christian tradition, associated primarily with the Virgin Mary; Confucius wrote about roses in his literature and as such, Buddhism has associations with the rose as well.
In some of the earliest displays of utilizing roses as wedding flowers, newly married couples in ancient Rome often wore floral rose wreaths on their heads after the ceremony.
Women in the elite levels of Roman society used rose petals and rose water both to barter as well a form of currency.
The civil War of the Roses raged for over three decades in England. The conflict was so named because the two warring factions each adopted a rose as their symbol – The House of York a white rose; and the House of Lancaster a red one.
Today, our motives for displaying roses are far more friendly; whether for birthdays or to declare your love, the rose is always an elegant choice. Select red roses for your sweetheart, a yellow arrangement for your best friend, or pink bouquet for your mom – whatever you choose, the best place in Albuquerque to find beautiful roses is right here at Peoples Flower Shops.
