Flower Symbolism

Flowers are important to all humans, that we all know. We cannot imagine our festivals without them, neither can we imagine the gardens. Then there's the fact that flowers are important for making scents, as decorations and for pollination and the like. Flowers have all these uses, no doubt, and if you look at the bigger picture, the entire ecological cycle would come tumbling down if there were no flowers. But that isn't what this article is all about today. This article focuses on a completely different aspect of flowers and that is flower symbolism.

Flowers are extremely symbolic. Not only is the symbolism apparent through the individual flower meanings, but is also portrayed as vividly through the different stories that envelope it. Let us see what some of these flower symbolism tales are.

Flower Symbolism of Different Flowers

Different flowers hold a different and unique story, thus the symbolism involved. Let us see what some of these are.

Lotus Flower Symbolism
The lotus flower is one that is steeped in symbolism. In several cultures of the world, including Buddhism and Hinduism, as also in places like Egypt, China and Europe, the lotus holds a lot of significance, and the lotus flower meaning also adds to the reverence factor of the flower.

In Hinduism, the lotus flower is held in supreme reverence for a number of reasons. The inception of the world brought about the first golden lotus, it is said. Several of the the Hindu gods use the lotus for their thrones (Brahma, Saraswati) and lord Ganesha is especially fond of the flower. But that is not where the importance given to the lotus flower stops. The lotus grows in the muck. It comes out from the slush of the pond as a bud and later blooms into the beautiful flower that it is. This has brought about the explanation that the human soul makes the journey of realization from the material world, into the supreme soul.

In Buddhism as well, the lotus flower symbolism holds the same pulse as that of Hinduism - awakening of the soul towards the highest form of spiritualism. In Egypt, the flower symbolizes revival, restoration and genesis. It is this reason why the lotus flower is also a favorite among tattoo artists because it is symbolic of so many things.

Iris Flower Symbolism
The iris flower comes in all forms of rainbow colors. It has soft fluttering wings and therefore, rightly symbolizes the spirit of early summer in China. Other than that, the iris flower meaning also involves several other symbolism. These include wisdom, faith, hope, friendship, valor, admiration and in some instances even passion and royalty. A lot depends on the color of the iris flower. Similarly the Japanese flower symbolism is rich and varied as well.

Lily Flower Symbolism
The symbolism of the lily is varied and rich. The different varieties of lilies symbolize several different things. The colors of the lily flower play an important role in the symbolism. Like the white lily symbolizes virtue and chastity, the pink lily symbolizes wealth and prosperity. So also, the meaning and symbolization changes with each variety. The Casablanca lily meaning and the water lily meaning are such examples. Read more on flower meanings - symbolic meanings.

These are only some of the flower symbolism factors that have been explained. There are many more found in the list of flower names with meanings and pictures, that if you start looking through them, you'll be lost in that world. Like who could imagine that there is flower symbolism in Hamlet even?

By Rujuta Borkar
Published: 6/7/2010