Symbolism of Funeral Flowers
The type of flowers you choose can express your particular sentiments. The traditional language of flowers provides a way to convey your feelings and send a meaningful message. The gift of a plant is often an ideal choice, as they provide a long-lasting tribute to the loved one lost, as well as a constant reminder of the friendship and affection you wish to support the bereaved through the grieving process.
Lilies
The lily is the flower most commonly associated with funeral services as they symbolize the innocence that has been restored to the soul of the departed. White stargazer lilies symbolizes sympathy and any type of white lily expresses majesty and purity.
|
|
|
Carnations
Long lasting and fragrant, carnations are a popular choice for sympathy arrangements. The red carnation evokes admiration while a pink carnation stands for remembrance. White carnations stand for pure love and innocence.
|
Roses
As one of the most recognizable flowers, roses can be a beautiful part of an arrangement of funeral flowers. White roses evoke reverence, humility, innocence, and youthfulness. Red roses convey respect, love, and courage. Pink roses signify love, grace, appreciation and gentility. Dark crimson roses denote grief and sorrow. Yellow roses are given by friends of the deceased to symbolize their strong ties. When you include a single rose in a bouquet it expresses enduring love for the deceased.
|
|
|
Gladioli
Gladioli have a tall flower stem composed of multiple flowers that can measure up to 4 feet tall. Typically used in fan sprays as a classic and elegant arrangement for traditional funeral services. The gladiolus embodies strength of character, sincerity, and moral integrity. They are available in a wide range of colors, including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange, salmon, and green.
|
Chrysanthemums
Mums are frequently included in arrangements for funeral services. In some European countries, such as France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Croatia, chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or on graves. In China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation and grief, whereas in the US, it symbolizes truth and the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful, with New Orleans as a notable exception.
|
|
|
Orchid Plant
Orchids say "I will always love you". When giving an orchid plant as a gesture of sympathy, it is important to give consideration to color. Pink and white are traditional colors of sympathy. Varieties such as the phalaenopsis orchid and dendrobium orchid are suggested by florists as appropriate plants to denote sympathy.
|
Peace Lily Plant
Thought to promote peace, harmony, purity, and innocence after death. The Peace Lily includes all plants in the Spathiphyllum genus. Spathiphyllum means “peace and prosperity” in Latin. Peace Lilies are known for their elegant, star-shaped, white flowers and rich, green leaves.
Christians view white lilies as symbolic of the Virgin Mary. They are also associated with the Easter holiday and Christ’s resurrection, because they appear to die in the winter, but are reborn again in the spring.
|
|
