How did flowers and lace join Valentine's Day?
[ 2006-04-26 10:20 ]
Most of the items
linked to Valentine's Day came from old-fashioned customs that
used lace handkerchiefs and floral  bouquets to pass on non-verbal
messages.
When the custom went out of style for everyday use,
the original meaning was lost and eventually they became part
of the Valentine's Day tradition.
Giving flowers dates back to the 1700s when Charles II of
Sweden introduced the Persian custom of "the language of
flowers" to Europe. Books about the meanings of particular
flowers were published, and entire conversations could be
carried out using only a bouquet of flowers.
The rose has become the traditional Valentine's Day flower.
As it has always been a popular flower, the meaning of the red
rose is still well known as the flower of passion and love.
The red rose is also the favorite flower of Venus, the goddess
of love, which helped give the rose its symbolic meaning.
Lace
Centuries ago, a woman would drop her handkerchief
in front of the man she liked. This was a form of
encouragement to him, and if he picked it up for her an
introduction could be made. Lace has always been part of
women's handkerchiefs, and it has since been linked to
romance. |
non-verbal: 不用言辭表達(dá)的
out of style:
過(guò)時(shí) | | |
|
