Rose Trivia - The Story of the Rose
The Real Beauty in Roses is the Story Behind Them
For centuries, roses have inspired love and brought beauty to those who have received them. In fact, the rose's rich heritage dates back thousands of years. People have been passionate about roses since the beginning of time. It is said that the floors of Cleopatra's palace were carpeted with delicate rose petals, and that the wise and knowing Confucius had a 600 book library specifically on how to care for roses.
Wherefore art thou rose? In the readings of Shakespeare, of course. He refers to roses more than 50 times throughout his writings.
1,000 years old. That's the age the world's oldest living rose is thought to be. Today it continues to flourish on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral of Germany.
Why white roses are so special is no mystery - it's a myth. Perhaps it started with the Romans who believed white roses grew where the tears of Venus fell as she mourned the loss of her beloved Adonis. Myth also has it the Venus' son Cupid accidentally shot arrows into the rose garden when a bee stung him, and it was the"sting" of the arrows that caused the roses to grow thorns. When Venus walked through the garden and pricked her foot on a thorn, it was the droplets of her blood which turned the roses red.
The rose is a legend in it's own. The story goes that during the Roman empire, there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe. Her beauty drew many zealous suitors who pursued her relentlessly. Exhausted by their pursuit, Rhadanthe was forced to take refuge from her suitors in the temple of her friend Diana. Unfortunately, Diana became jealous. And when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near their beloved Rhodanthe she also became angry, turning Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns.
The Meaning of the Different Colors of Roses
Red Roses: convey true love and respect, passion and courage.
White Roses: symbolize innocence, purity, reverence, humility and secrecy, and also express affection.
Yellow Roses: mean joy, friendship, happiness, hope and freedom.
Peach Roses: show gratitude, sincerity, appreciation, desire. They also can convey admiration or sympathy.
Pink Roses: this elegant color means grace, gladness, joy and perfect happiness. Express our gratitude and appreciation with pink roses. Or they say a simple "thank you". Pink can also express our sympathy.
Lavender Roses: represent love at first sight and enchantment.
Orange Roses: means fascination or enthusiasm.
Coral Roses: represent desire.
Multi colored Roses: can be used to convey a wide range of emotions, these are a great gift idea if you are not sure of what to say - these roses say it all!
"The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove."
- John Boyle O’Reilly
