The Five Most Popular Funeral Flowers & What They Represent
In the wake of a death, it can be difficult to represent heartfelt feelings of sympathy and sorrow in words. Often, we feel overwhelming sympathy and a desire to send our love and support, but struggle to articulate those feelings. Sending flowers to grieving friends or family is a traditional method of expressing our love and support and can be a memorial necessity. However, it’s important to be aware of the messages that those specific flowers symbolize.
Interestingly, each of the most commonly-gifted flowers have their own individual histories, meanings and symbolism. Therefore, by sending certain flowers, you can symbolize your sentiment. In this post, we’ll explore the five most popular funeral flowers and their meanings. This way, you can express the sympathy and consolation you feel, that can often be difficult to express in words.
Carnations
On May 12, 1907, Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother’s Day, distributed 500 white carnations to the mothers at St. Andrew’s Church in Grafton, West Virginia in honor of her beloved, late mother, who favored carnations.
“The white carnation is preferred because it may be thought to typify some of the virtues of motherhood,” Anna said. “Whiteness stands for purity; the carnation’s lasting qualities: faithfulness; its fragrance: love; its wide field of growth: charity.”
Additionally, red carnations represent deep, profound love and gratitude, while purple carnations symbolize spontaneity.
Hyacinth
Hyacinth, famous for its sweet fragrance, is another popular choice for sympathy arrangements.
Additionally, because of stories in Greek mythology, purple hyacinth has come to symbolize deep sorrow and sincerity. Furthermore, blue hyacinth represents deep and loyal friendship, while white hyacinth symbolizes sending sincere prayers.
Daisy
According to Celtic legend, in a divine act of consolation, God spread daisies across the Earth in the wake of an infant’s passing, in an effort to comfort their parents. Basically, this is how daisies have come to represent innocence, purity and new beginnings.
The meaning of the daisy depends on its species. For instance, the Michaelmas Daisy symbolizes a final goodbye, while the English Daisy symbolizes motherly love.
Rose
Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, was depicted with roses in her hair, which is partly how the flower came to symbolize deep and enduring love.
For funerals, black roses are popular and populate many cemeteries, as they symbolize a final farewell. Dark pink roses represent respect and gratitude, while light pink roses stand for admiration. White roses symbolize purity and innocence and yellow roses represent friendship.
Conclusion – St. Charles Monuments
Of course, flowers are one of the most essential ways to comfort grieving friends and family. However, memorials and monuments are stunning and enduring tributes to loved ones that will stand the test of time. Monuments reflect the lives and legacies of our loved ones permanently, and will remain extraordinary works of personalized art forever. At St. Charles Monuments, our team of craftsmen will create custom, one-of-a-kind headstones you can refine to perfectly reflect the life of your loved one.
