Romantic Rose

With Mother's Day around the corner, we see many cards and roses being sold in retail stores. When did this idea of buying roses resemble love?

The red rose is a universal symbol of love. It appeared in many paintings and in poetry from modern day music to the media throughout history.

The red rose was introduced to Europe from China in the 1800's. The color red itself is a symbol for life and slowly became a metaphor for deep emotion. In many early cultures, red roses were used as decorations for marriage ceremonies and were a symbol of love and fidelity.

How many of us have heard of the expression, "hopeless romantic"? When we describe love, the word romantic inevitably plays a role. Whenever we describe someone as a hopeless romantic, someone who loves love, it is always something sweet. So, what is considered romantic?

Some people describe the word romantic as something fanciful, impractical, unrealistic, and some describe it as someone who is characterized by a preoccupation with love or by the idealizing of love or one's beloved.

When we express our love to someone, we tend to think of romantic things that make sparkles in the relationship. However, a study from Rutger's University said, "In a meta-analysis of 12 studies of infidelity among American married couples, it has reported that 31 percent of men and 16 percent of women had had a sexual affair that entailed no emotional involvement; 13 percent of men and 21 percent of women had been romantically but not sexually involved with someone other than their spouse; and 20 percent of men and women had engaged in an affair that included both a sexual and emotional connection."

Is this "love" that we speak of and is this "romantic" in any way? Many people buy roses but not everyone knows the whole meaning and story behind why they buy it during certain occasions. Exchanging roses or other flowers is supposed to express your affection sending the strongest message of love to someone. When we think of someone romantically, how do you think society plays a role on how we view love?

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Sources:
http://www.proflowers.com/flowerguide/rosemeanings/redrose-meanings.aspx

http://www.sfn.org/SiteObjects/published/0000BDF20016F63800FD712C30FA42DD/206A20541DE4EAD6895F6841A70AD45B/file/02._SEX%20&%20SMELL.pdf