Have an anniversary coming soon? Give them flowers! Don't have a gift for your friend's birthday? Buy a bouquet of their favorite blossoms! Want to cheer up your loved one but don't know how? Flowers will do the trick!

Giving blooms as a present has been consistent through different periods and cultures. But when exactly did it begin?

In this article, we explore the history of the practice of flower giving. We'll see how it progressed through history and spread around the world.

Finally, we discover why this tradition was so important in the Victorian Era. We see how almost everyone knew exactly the meanings and messages flowers held.

For a crash course on the language of flowers, go to our next article!

Flowers and Gift-Giving Traditions.

The origins of giving flowers go back to the time of Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and the Roman Empire.

These three societies often used flowers in religious customs. They based their private use of flowers on their myths.

The Greeks used them as props for storytelling. They also made them into decor for ceremonies. Later on, they began exchanging flowers to show affection towards each other.

Societies all through history have continued the practice of gifting flowers. During the Middle Ages, people from Turkey created the first list of symbolisms for flowers.

This later spread throughout the world. Other cultures adapted these to their traditions and faiths.

The Victorian Era and Flowers.

People from the Victorian Era are often known for being at the height of elegance.

But did you know they used flowers to convey deep, unsaid feelings towards one another?

Back then, people were starting to get more into gardening and flower care. They sought to grow robust, lively flowers. They also grew new flower species.

The flowers, in turn, acted as a form of communication. It relayed messages between lovers, friends, loved ones, and even acquaintances.

Flowers revealed sentiments ranging from "I love you", to "I treasure you, dear friend", to "I'm sorry". They played a key role in how Victorian-era citizens made their feelings known.

See, Victorian people thought that stating how you feel was tacky. So they adapted the list of flower meanings back in the Middle Ages. Then, they applied these into how they interacted with each other.

This even encompassed romances! Courting was usually done through exchanges of flowers.

Some groups even came up with alternative meanings to flowers. They did this to interact in secret, hidden from prying eyes.

Not long after, most individuals knew what every flower and floral arrangement meant. They could hold an entire conversation without saying a word.

The custom of flower giving became quite popular. Soon enough, people started using bouquets to send particular messages to people. Even the way that the person presented the floral gift was part of their message. This tradition carried on (of course with less dramatic quality) through history.

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