Beautiful Flowers

Before I start the actual content of this post, I would like to give a shout out to my mother for suggesting this idea. We were talking the other day, and she wondered how flowers are used in other cultures and what their importance is. In India they are used for religious reasons, as well as to decorate. She wondered if other countries use them the same way or not. So, let us take a look at it.

Flowers are sometimes used as gifts in various parts of the world. Instead of giving teachers apples, in China, the most popular gift for a teacher is flowers. For weddings, the most popular flower for the Chinese are peonies. However, if going to Asia, do not give a person a potted plant, it is not appropriate because it is thought to restrict a relationship. In northern Asia, like Russian territory, flowers are given as bunches or a single for birthdays. Roses, lilies, and carnations are used for funerals because of their shape that symbolizes death and rebirth. Unlike America, where a bouquet of flowers contains 12 flowers, Russians usually give odd numbers of flowers. Europeans, particularly in England, take flowers when going to a guests’ house. White lilies are avoided because they symbolic death. They, like the Russians, give flowers in odd numbers, except for the number 13, since it is an unlucky number.

Flowers are also used for various festivals, and certain flowers are only used for certain occasions. In India, during religious times, flowers are given and placed in front of god. Also, during festivals and weddings they are set around the house as decorations and given to girls to be worn in the hair. The Spanish who celebrate the Day of the Dead make altars and celebrate with bringing brightly colored flowers. People tend to bring orange, yellow, and red marigolds. During Chinese New Year and Oktoberfest in Germany, flowers are used to decorate as well. The Chinese New Year tends to stick with a red colored theme; therefore, red colored flowers are used.

Flowers are even used in foods. In Japan, cherry blossoms are incorporated into floral arrangements and even used in teas, because it is a very abundant flower in that area. Middle Eastern countries use orange blossoms in meals, particularly at times of celebrations. It is used in water and a variety of recipes.

Flowers are such an abundant and beautiful part of life. They add color and excitement to the Earth. As spring is upon us, they will once again start to bloom and make the days brighter and happier. The air will smell heavenly with the scents coming from the flowers. These flowers are also used in different cultures in different ways. Some countries use them for religious reasons, others use them for celebration, sometimes they are used for decoration, and other times they are used in cooking. Flowers even have different meanings or symbolize different things in various countries. It is just beautiful to see how one part of life brightens different countries around the world.

For more information on this topic, click here, here, and here.