Using flowers, especially roses to convey messages dear to the heart has been a tradition established over several centuries. And as the complexity of the emotions increased, people sought ways to add new meanings to flowers. Some flowers are given in various combinations to depict totally different meanings. There are also meanings hidden in the number of roses exchanged between people. Some of these meanings have been derived from visual significance, while some have caught on from popular stories and myths.
While discovering the meanings in the number of roses, the first that comes into mind is the single rose. The single rose, whatever its color, depicts utmost devotion to a single person. "All my deepest affections are concentrated in you". Two roses, especially if they are red in color speak of two people who are deeply in love and together form their own happy little world. Three roses stand for the three words in "I Love You", and seek to convey this very simple yet powerful message.
Half a dozen roses speak of the need to be loved and cherished. When you need to assure someone that he or she is truly and deeply loved, send eleven roses. Thirteen roses indicate that there is a secret admirer waiting to be discovered. Twenty-four roses stand for the twenty-four hours of the day, and say that the loved one is thought of during every hour of the day.
Three dozen or thirty-six roses speak of a romantic attachment. Forty-four roses pledge a constant and an unchanging love. Fifty roses signify a love that has ripened well, and has never been regretted. A hundred roses signifies a happy union of two loving souls till death or till a hundred years. A hundred and eight roses is a marriage proposal in the language of flowers. So, the next time you get it, grab it.
Three hundred and sixty five roses denote every day of the year. They speak of a love that has remained constant and true throughout the year. One thousand and one roses speak of a faithful love that will live on forever.
These are just some of the many ways that roses have been used to convey messages of love, faith and attachment.
It is true that black is the color of death. But death does not always cause mourning. It can also be the beginning of new things, a journey into unexplored territory. The black rose, because it symbolizes death and passing away, also indicates a major change or upheaval in the future.
In that sense, the black rose also means the death of old habits and the old order. It inspires confidence and enthusiasm by signaling the birth of a new era of hope and joy.
This flower, tragic in its dark beauty is not always symbolic of unhappiness. The Irish have used the lyrics of "the Little Black rose" during their ongoing battle with the British. Similarly, many anarchist and antiauthoritarian groups have also adopted the black rose as a symbol of mutiny and strength. Therefore, the meaning of the black rose also includes courage and resistance.
