Flower Trivia
Test your Flower Knowledge
What spring flower was ‘born to be purple’?
Stay tuned for the answer tomorrow!
Heidi
2 comments February 15th, 2008
Archive for February, 2008
Even More Valentine Traditions Around the World
In Mexico the holiday is know as El Día de San Valentín, the day of love and friendship. Balloon vendors sell colorful, heart-shaped declarations of love, reading: Te Amo (I love you), Para mi amor (for my love), or Felicidades (congratulations). Chocolates and red roses are given to friends and family, as well as to lovers and spouses.
In Scotland Valentine’s Day is celebrated with a festival where equal numbers of single men and women write their names on pieces of paper, roll them up and place them in a men’s hat and women’s hat. Then each person takes the name of a person of the opposite sex. The man is obliged to stick with the valentine who has chosen him. A Scottish valentine superstition (also found in Italy and England ), says that an unmarried woman will marry the first man she sees on that day — or at least somebody who looks like him.
In Spain it is customary for courting couples to exchange gifts and for husbands to send their wives a bunch of roses.
In the United States and Canada men and women exchange gifts of flowers, candies and other finery such as jewelry, perfume and sexy clothing along with elaborate valentine cards bearing romantic messages.
In Wales wooden love spoons are carved and given as gifts on Feb. 14. Hearts, keys and keyholes are favorite decorations on the spoons, meaning: “You unlock my heart.”
By the Way, there’s still time to order flowers for your Valentine!
1 comment February 12th, 2008
More Valentine Traditions Around the World
In France young unmarried people as well as older unmarried people would go into houses facing each other and start calling out across from one window to another, pairing off with the one they have chosen. If the young man didn’t fancy his valentine he would desert her and as a result afterwards a bonfire would be lit where the young ladies would burn images of the young man and would yell out abuse as she burnt the image of the young man.
In Germany women plant onions in pots, giving each a man’s name and placing them near the fireplace. The first sprouting onion is the husband-to-be.
In Japan downtown Tokyo department stores sell elegantly wrapped chocolates, but the candy buyers are all women. In Japan women are expected to give men chocolates. On Feb. 14, office ladies, known as OLs in Japanese, buy giri chocos — obligation chocolates — for their bosses. If a woman is interested in someone, she lets him know by giving honmei chocolates “true feeling gifts,” which bear romantic messages.
In Italy Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a Spring Festival and his held in the open air. The young would gather in leafy glades or ornamental gardens, where they would listen to music and hear poetry read, then they would stroll off with their valentine together into the gardens. In Turin it was once customary for an engaged couple to announce their engagement on this day. For a while before the day shops would be decorated and filled with all sorts of bon-bons. In Rome St Valentine’s Day in known as Lupercalia – a very romantic and pleasure-loving occasion. Order your Valentine Flowers Early!
1 comment February 12th, 2008
February 11th is Make a New Friend Day!
“Friends are flowers in the garden of life”
A great way to make a new friend is to send flowers to someone you admire!
When it comes to telling your friends how much you care, there is no better way than to do it with flowers. Reach out to all the special people in your life with beautiful Flowers. Whether it’s with a yellow rose or with bright sunflowers in bloom, flowers say it best!
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Celebrate friendship with the largest selection of cheerful bouquets, arrangements, plants, and gifts from Eden Florist & Gift Baskets. Show a friend you care! |
Include a nice card that says:
“If friends were flowers, I’d pick you”
Or add a nice poem:
Friendship is a gift
That ever blooms and grows
And brightens up life’s pathway
Just like a lovely rose.
- Yuko Ohigashi -
And remember, Valentines Day is right around the corner… order early!
Add comment February 11th, 2008
Valentine Traditions Around the World
Valentine Traditions Around the World
In Austria it has become customary for a young man to present his loved one with a bunch of flowers for Valentine’s Day.
In Australia during the gold rush, miners who were flushed with new found wealth paid high prices for elaborate valentines. The most extravagant of valentines were made of a satin cushion, perfumed, ornately designed with flowers, colored shells and a taxidermied humming bird or bird of paradise.
In Britain some unmarried women get up before sunrise on Valentine’s Day. They stand by the window watching for a man to pass. They believe that the first man they see, or someone who looks like him, will marry them within a year.In Denmark people press white flowers called snowdrops and send them to their friends. Danish men send a type of valentine called a gaekkebrev (joking letter). The sender writes a rhyme but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the valentine with dots, one dot for each letter of his name. If the woman who gets it guesses his name, he rewards her with an Easter egg on Easter.
In 18th century England unmarried women would pin bay leaves to their pillow on Valentine’s Day in the hope of dreaming of their future husband. Others baked valentine buns with caraway seeds, plums or raisins.
Remember to order flowers for your VALENTINE EARLY!
2 comments February 10th, 2008
Valentine Quiz
Take the Valentine Quiz…
1. What did people used to believe would happen if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day?
2. Who imprisoned Valentine?
3. Why was he imprisoned?
4. On what date was Valentine supposedly executed?
5. How many Valentine cards will be bought in a year?
6. Name 2 countries, other than the U.S., that celebrate Valentine’s Day.
7. In Roman mythology, February 14th is associated with which goddess?
8. What custom does the saying “He wears his heart on his sleeve” come from?
9. What is the flower associated with Valentine’s Day?
10. When did Hallmark make its first Valentine Card?
Bonus question:
How do you write I Love You in German? In French? In Spanish? In Italian? In Portuguese? In Cantonese?
Click Here for the answers!
Add comment February 10th, 2008
Flower Stories – The Forget-me-not
THE STORY OF THE FORGET-ME-NOT
(Excerpted from “Phyllis Field Friends Flower Stories” by Lenore E. Mulets)
One morning, in the golden days of the early world, an angel sat just outside the gates of Paradise, and wept. “Why do you weep?” gently asked one who passed that way. “Surely the world is lovely, and Paradise is so near!” “Alas!” said the angel, “I must wait long before I may enter Paradise.”
“Why,” said the other, “it seems but a step to the gates. Why must you wait?”
“Look,” said the angel, pointing earthward. The other looked and saw a dainty blue-eyed maiden stooped over the grass by a brookside. “Do you see those tiny blue flowers which she is planting?” whispered the angel. “They are as dainty as she is herself. They are blue as her own eyes. They have hearts of gold as true as her own true heart.”“Why, then, do you weep?” asked the other.“Ah,” said the angel, “I love the gentle maiden, and with her I would have entered Paradise.
But, lo, when we came to the very gates we were not allowed to enter.”
“Tell me more,” said the other.“A task was given to this earth maiden,” said the angel. “In every corner of the world must she plant this tiny blue flower. I may not enter the gates of Paradise without her. Thus it is that I sit outside and weep.”“Nay, nay,” said the other. “weep not. There is a better way than that.”Then he whispered in the angel’s ear.
And the angel flew to earth where the maiden stooped over her dainty blue flowers. He came to assist her in her task. Hand in hand the angel and the beautiful maiden wandered over the land. In every corner of the earth they planted the blue forget-me-nots. Then one day, when the task was done, they sat together beside the stream and wove wreaths of forget-me-nots.
And with garlands of their own flowers about them, the angel gathered the beautiful maiden in his arms and carried her with him to the gates of Paradise. The gates swung wide at their coming, and ever after the angel and the maiden whom he loved wandered mid fields of happiness in the land of Paradise.
Order forget-me-nots and other flowers at Eden Florist
Add comment February 9th, 2008
Even More Valentine Symbols and Trivia
DID YOU KNOW?
The oldest paper valentine still around is in the collection of the British Library in London . It was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415
Legend has it that Valentine’s Day is when birds find their mates Until the 1800s, the English made Valentine cards and shipped them all over the world
In North America, Valentine’s is the 2nd most popular time to send cards (Christmas is the first)
In Japan, girls give gifts on Valentine’s Day and boys reciprocate the gifts on White Day (March 14th)
In old Wales, wooden love spoons were often presented to sweethearts on February 14th
Italian couples announced engagements on Valentine’s Day.
Be sure to order your Valentine flowers early at Eden Florist!
Add comment February 9th, 2008
The Romance Calendar – February
Ooh I need romance babe , I hope you know it’s true
Hope you need romance babe, Just like I do too…
Okay, it’s not exactly the same lyrics to the Beatles song, Eight Days a Week, but it’s true (for most of us, that is). And just like the lyrics to the song “Eight days a Week, Is not enough to show I care…” Romance is not reserved for holidays and special days, it’s the wise person who is romantic on a daily basis. And being romantic every day of the week is not that difficult. It just takes a little forethought and imagination. I call it planned spontaneity. And let’s face it, sometimes we need a little help to add more romance to our relationship.
February
February may be a short month, but it is full of love. In addition to Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14th) there’s also Chocolate Day (Feb. 12th), Dream of Your Sweetheart Day (Feb. 13th), Cuddle Day (Feb. 25th) and Romance on a Budget Day (Feb. 28th)
Excerpted from Romance on a Budget.
To order flowers, visit Eden Florist & Gift Baskets
Add comment February 8th, 2008
More Valentine Symbols & Trivia
DID YOU KNOW?
Red Hearts are an ancient symbol of love. Because the human heart beats faster when one is excited, the heart was thought to be the centre of emotion and feeling in ancient times.
Interlocking Hearts, also known as the true-love knot, represent two hearts joined as one. Sometimes the true-love knot is joined with a capital “A”. The “A” stands for the Latin phrase “Amor vincit omnia”, meaning “Love conquers all.”
Valentine candy boxes are heart-shaped and tied with red ribbon to symbolize giving one’s heart.
To be awakened by a kiss on Valentine’s Day is considered very good luck.
Remember to order flowers for YOUR VALENTINE at Eden Florist.
1 comment February 7th, 2008