People us flowers to enhance their festivities and other important events. For courtship, roses are universally accepted as an expression of love and admiration. Roses are also the favorite for Valentines Day although nowadays, anthuriums and carnations as well as tulips are becoming popular.

For weddings, white orchids have long been chosen by brides because of their elegance. Other bridal flower are calla lilies, star lilies and of course, roses.

To sympathize and comport the bereaved in the death of their loved ones, friends bring bright colored mums, dahlias and also orchids and anthuruims.

The Hawaiians offer lies of plumeria or frangiffanies to their guests and to honor special people.

In churches, one will find Easter lilies, calla lilies, amaryllis, orchids and anthuruims. These are long lasting. Indians us jasmines and other fragrant blooms in their rituals while Chinese decorate temples and homes with a Peony, Lotus and roses for offerings to their deities to bless them with auspiciousness.

In the Philippines, during Palm Sunday, people make decorate coco palm fronds with flowers to symbolize Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. They hang these fronds on their doors or windows to prevents the devil or the lightning to destroy their homes

In situations like these, people resort to the use of flower language passed on by many generations before ours. Although many kinds of flowers are used in various cultures and traditions, the rose seems to be the most popular since time immemorial.

The number, colors, how they are held, where they are placed, convey messages. For instance, a man giving a lady three red roses say, “I love you”, while three white ones expresses pure intentions. Two red roses with one pink reveal ones timidity or shyness in expressing his love. Three yellow roses say that the man is jealous while a mix of colors hints that he is confused.

If a woman holds a rose or any flower on her left hand, she is accepting mans proposal. When she holds a rose under her lips, she wishes that what she will say be kept a secret (this is where “Sub Rosa” came from). When she kisses the rose, she saying, “I love you too”, and when she holds the stem bottom side-up, the maiden refuses the love being offered. The rose on a woman’s right cheek means she’s waiting and on the opposite – she is not interested; the rose on the right ear – she wants to hear more; on her left – says no more. If she holds the stem close to her heart, she will cherish the suitor; and when she rests the rose stem over her right arm, she is asking the man to wait a little expect anything; over her eyebrow or held against forehead – “ I’ll think about it “.