The carnation means fascination, distinction, and love. According to a Christian legend, carnations grew from the Virgin Mary's tears as she watched Jesus carry the cross. This is how they became associated with motherly love.
Carnation meaning varies depending on the flower color. But at its heart, basic carnation flower meaning embraces the ideas of fascination, distinction and love. The love aspect of carnation meaning includes everything from a mother's devoted love to a suitor's passion for his bride.
While light red carnations show adoration, dark red carnations symbolize a deep and passionate love. More often associated with affection, dark red carnations show your significant other how deep your love runs for them and that you aren't afraid to show the world how passionately in love you are.
A rich red carnation symbolizes deep love and affection, while a pale red carnation represents admiration and the words, “my heart aches for you”. It is said that the deep red petals of the red carnation represent a beating heart that is filled with love too!
Carnations. The carnation is a symbolic and popular choice of flower for any funeral arrangement or service, as it is typically known for representing love and affection for those who have passed away.
Carnations are a very popular choice for sympathy flowers. They are fragrant and long-lasting flowers, making them ideal for services that last for several days. A white carnation represents purity and innocence. Pink carnations send thoughts of remembrance.
Hibiscus flowers are a popular flower choice to honor the loss of a mother or wife. These delicate blooms often represent femininity and beauty — perfect for those who are grieving an important woman in their life.
Carnations are a popular choice for funeral or sympathy arrangements. Each color symbolizes a specific emotion: White represents innocence and untainted love, pink is associated with remembrance of the deceased, and red means admiration for a loved one that has passed away.
Red is the colour of love and this meaning applies to red carnations too. Carnations in vibrant red shades can be given to someone you love to let them know how strong your feelings are.
Oscar Wilde popularised the Parisian trend of wearing a green carnation as a symbol of gay identity when he asked friends to wear them on their lapels to his play Lady Windermere's Fan in 1892. Worn on the left lapel, the green malmaison carnation became a 'code' for men who were attracted to other men.
Purple carnations imply capriciousness, and pink carnations carry the greatest significance, beginning with the belief that they first appeared on earth from the Virgin Mary's tears – making them the symbol of a mother's undying love.
Unlike the other colors of the carnation flower, a yellow carnation expresses a more sad sentiment and portrays the idea of rejection or disappointment towards someone. Back in the day, it was said that offering someone yellow carnations meant that you are breaking up with them or rejecting their love.
And even though white carnations originally became popular, red carnations are also considered the official Mother's Day flower.
Heliotrope. Photo: Ralph Anderson. Just when you thought the rose was the most meaningful flower, the heliotrope steals the show; it means eternal love.
White and yellow chrysanthemums are widely used to say goodbye, particularly in Asia. This 'golden flower' is packed with meaning in those countries.
According to a Christian legend, carnations originally appeared after the Crucifixion of Christ, growing in the spots where the Virgin Mary's tears fell to the earth. This is said to be how the carnation became associated with a mother's love.
Thus, the pink carnation symbolism is of a mother's undying love. In the ancient times, the predominant colours of carnations were pink and peach, however, over the ages, the variety of hues widened to red, white, yellow, purple, and even green.
Blue Carnation Meaning
As blue flowers are often associated with peace, truth, and spirituality, blur carnations indicate the same meaning. They are popular flowers at weddings as they represent devotion and true love between the bride and groom.
The green carnation became a queer symbol in 1892 when Oscar Wilde instructed a handful of his friends to wear them on their lapels to the opening night of his comedy Lady Windermere's Fan. From then on, wearing a green carnation on your lapel was a secret, subtle hint that you were a man who loved other men.
The carnation symbolizes eternal grief, love, and loyalty. This flower has long been the flower of mourning. The white carnations signify deep sorrow, combining a powerful symbol of death, sadness, and respect. When you are at a loss for words, ceremonial flowers allow your emotions to be expressed in silence.
White flowers are the most commonly present at funerals. This traditional color choice represents honor, peace, and innocence. Pink is considered a respectful color choice, used to express gentleness and sympathy. Red flowers symbolize love, as well as beauty and strength.
Pink symbolises love and sentiment, which makes pink flowers perfect for expressing your warm feelings towards the person who has passed away or those left behind. Pink roses make a beautiful choice to send at a time of bereavement, as do pink carnations, tulips, asters and gerberas.
Carnations: A sweet yet sentimental way to let someone know that you miss them is through carnations. Pink and red are the favoured colours of carnations that you must pick up to express him/her that you are missing them.
With its characteristic fragrant aroma, the lily as a funeral flower presents the idea that the departed soul has returned to a peaceful state of innocence. Also suggestive of the purity found in new birth and new life, lilies are perhaps the most popular flowers used for funerals.
Lisianthus perfectly captures the special bond shared between a mother and daughter. They symbolise admiration and life-long bonds, making them the perfect flower to show your appreciation and gratitude.