The Meaning of a Rose

A rose is, of course, a timeless symbol of love and beauty. Some literates like to call its use in pop culture and visual and written works of art 'cheesy' or overdone. But we think the symbolic importance and beauty of the rose has transcended through time. That's why today you'll see it appear in romantic movies, poems, and books. It's the perfect just-because gift and the array of colours roses bloom in allow it to represent every beautiful human emotion and notion under the sun.  It's no wonder roses are so popular for weddings- which are meant to be one of the most important and beautiful days of our lives. 

Let's take it back to 500 years ago and take a look at Botticelli's Birth of Venus. 

Those pink blossoms floating around Venus, the Goddess of Love, are roses, which are the official flower of Venus. Venus- or Aphrodite, as she was called by the Greeks- was often depicted with roses in her hair, around her feet or somewhere near her. So the rose's association with love and beauty has been around since ancient times and is expressed beautifully during the Rennaisance in Birth of Venus.

But the rose can also symbolize other concepts. For example, in terms of the Tarot, the rose represents balance. It's beauty represents hope, new beginnings, and promise; this is contrasted by it's thorns which represent loss, defense, and thoughtlessness.  

As mentioned before, the different colours a rose may come in also have their own symbolic meanings. For example, a red rose represents love and romance, pink represents love, gratitude and appreciation, white is symbolic of marriage, spirituality and new starts and an orange rose shows enthusiasm and passion. 

Roses, one of Mother Nature's most beautiful creations, can represent lots of beautiful things. Everything from love to friendship to spirituality, which means amazing memories can be made with this flower.  

So, what does a rose mean to you? 

OUDALOVA E&D SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR - Saliah Chaudhry