The rose is considered to be the flower of love. Protected by the thorns, the rose also stands for beauty, secrecy, life, death and rebirth.
Originally, the rose was also considered to be a symbol of light, due to similarity of the flower’s color to the color of dawn. Therefore, it was also a symbol for race preservation, and fertility. In ancient Greece, it symbolized Aphrodite, while in Rome it represented Venus. Roman graves were often decorated with rose petals as it stood for the immortality of the soul.
In Christianity, red rose represents the blood of Christ, and his suffering. Together, five roses symbolize the Five Holy Wounds of Christ, but also the cross, redemption, resurrection, and immortality. In the Middle Ages, the imagery of the Rosa Mystica – a rose without thorns – stands for state the original innocence, meaning the Virgin Mary.
Throughout the ages, a lot of meanings were ascribed to this flower. Today, the most common meanings are love and passion, the all sweeping emotion.
Color symbolism:
Red: love, passion, valor
Pink: romance, bloom, respect, gratitude, appreciation
Yellow: friendship, jealousy, envy, apology
White: purity, fidelity, innocence, resignation, farewell, eternal love
Gold: Affluence, efficiency, acknowledgement
Blue: impossible
Black: piety, death, sorrow, parting
Related symbols: dagger, clock, hour-glass, skull, compass
