How to Link Flowers & Culture
Virtually every culture in the world has at least one type of flower with which it is associated. This flower may be used in ceremonies, in cuisine, in dress or personal ornamentation, in art or in countless other ways. Also, different flowers symbolize different things to different cultures. For this reason, it is valuable to understand not only what certain flowers mean within your own culture, but also what significance they have in other cultures. Whether you are giving a bouquet as a gift, throwing a party or getting married, knowing how to link flowers to a specific culture can be a great asset. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Attend cultural events and celebrations in your community, such as a Chinese New Year celebration or German-themed Oktoberfest. Note which flowers are present and how they are used. Ask the events' organizers about the significance of the flowers.
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Talk to your relatives, particularly your elders, about flowers that they remember playing a role in their lives. Learn about the relationship between flowers and culture in your own family. For example, your grandmother's choice of wedding flowers might have been connected to her cultural background.
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Bring bright orange, yellow and red marigolds to a celebration of Day of the Dead, a holiday observed in Latino culture that acknowledges deceased friends and relatives.
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Incorporate orange blossoms in meals, celebrations and bouquets in which you want to pay homage to Middle Eastern culture. Orange blossom water is used in a variety of traditional Middle Eastern recipes.
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Use peonies as an emblem of Chinese culture. Chinese horticulturists were the first to cultivate peonies, and they figure prominently in traditional Chinese gardens, art and medicine.
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Choose cherry blossoms if you want to link flowers with traditional Japanese culture. Japan is home to many cherry trees, and their blossoms are beloved for their beauty, incorporated in traditional Japanese floral arranging and used to flavor teas.
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Tips & Warnings
Incorporate flowers that reflect a friend's or family member's cultural background when you present her with the gift of a bouquet.
Include floral arrangements with culturally relevant blooms if you host a celebration on a day that has roots in a certain culture's history, such as St. Patrick's Day.
