Have you ever received a bouquet from someone? As a gift, or for an award? An achievement of some sort? Did you know that the Victorians (especially during the reign of Queen Victoria), took “inspiration” from the Turkish courts by attributing specific meanings to various flowers? This “inspiration” is considered incorrect in origin by today’s standards, simply because the Turkish woman would have never used objects to send to their secret lovers. However, the idea caught on, and then exploded within England during the era in which emotional regulation was working overtime. Instead of having conversations about how they felt – especially in regards to romantic intentions – they began sending and giving flowers.
The Language of Flowers: A Fully Illustrated Compendium of Meaning, Literature, and Lore for the Modern Romantic by Odessa Begay
Way before this flower craze, brides of older times throughout ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome were noted to carry bundles of specific herbs down the proverbial aisle to ward off bad luck and/or evil spirits. This practice carried into the Middle Ages, where again bouquets would keep away bad lucks, curses and spirits (and body odor)!
Only when Queen Victoria carried a small bouquet of his favorite snowdrops down the aisle during her marriage to Prince Albert did the flower bouquet become popular.
The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History (Volume 3) by S. Theresa Dietz
One has to keep in mind that while there were the widely agreed-upon ones, (again, like roses or snowdrops or lavender), countless dictionaries and iterations were being created throughout a good period of time. This is important to remember when one next goes out to look through a garden shop for a prospective flower, be it for oneself, or for anyone else. Just because the Victorians thought that giving someone a peony would show their anger – or shame, respectively, doesn’t mean that peonies today aren’t very pretty flowers that shouldn’t be loved any less.
A Victorian Flower Dictionary by Mandy Kirkby
As long as you don’t go out handing people Marigolds, you should be fine. Or York and Lancaster Roses. Should you do so, they’ll assume that you’re declaring war upon them, and your friendship (or situationship, we aren’t judging), will fail, and you’ll have to duel to regain your honor. Choose something nice, like a Forget-Me-Not. Or a Fuschia. Then, you’ll impart that you have good taste – both to them, and through old Floriography itself.
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