Hamburg - Valentine's Day is now well established in Europe and not just in advertisements.
Every February 14 is a day to acknowledge romantic commitment with little surprises and symbolic gestures. It doesn't matter whether the recipient is a lover, a good friend or a nice colleague, flowers are the most common gift.
There are a lot of possibilities beyond the classic bouquet of roses, however, not every floral arrangement is appropriate for every person receiving a Valentine. The giver should know that each flower carries its own message.
'The favourite flower on Valentine's Day is, of course, the rose, the flower of love,' said Guenter Dahlmann of the German florists association in Hamburg. Typical roses seen on Valentine's Day are those with large, round blossoms such as, for example, the Grand Prix and Passion.
An interesting new variety is First Edition, said John Langley, a master florist from Hamburg.
'This rose is not cut when it's budding, rather after it blooms, therefore it lasts very long in a vase,' Langley said.
Valentine's Day is now celebrated worldwide, and worldwide roses are the favourite. In Europe the production of roses at this time of year is barely under way. The most precious flowers come from Ecuador or Kenya. Many are refrigerated until delivery, and therefore quality suffers and it shortens the length of time the roses remain fresh.
Around Valentine's Day, roses are anything but cheap. Prices start climbing even in early February. Thus, some buyers prefer to look at alternatives. And not everyone is looking to send flowers exclusively to their lovers.
'Gerbera are the flowers of friendship, while forget-me-nots and gentians represent faithfulness and tulips communicate sympathy,' said Langley, listing other important symbols of Valentine's Day.
There are some flowers best not sent on February 14 because their symbolic meaning make them inappropriate. White lilies, for example, are almost always associated with death, cemeteries and mourning, Langley said. And carnations are often considered relics of grandma's time, warned Dahlmann. Chrysanthemums also can send the wrong signal.
'They say, 'How about a little hanky-panky?'' said Langley.
Equally as meaningful is the colour of the flower. Red symbolizes love, but the nuances can be crucial. Orange-red raises a notion of eroticism, while rose or soft pink signal the first tender bonds of love. Purple tones represent mystery or secrecy. Leaves and stems give every bouquet a framing of green, the colour of hope and life.
Red is not always the colour of choice on Valentine's Day. Blue symbolizes faithfulness, longing and the need for harmony, and bright yellow is a sign of a warm heart. But the person giving the bouquet has to be careful.
'Yellow flowers combined with a portion of green expresses envy and jealousy,' warned professor Harald Braem, a colour psychologist in Bettendorf in Germany's Rheinland-Pfalz region. 'Black is also out of place on this occasion, and white has a slightly emotionless feeling and aside from that is a symbol of death.'
A floral message can be particularly intense, if the meaning of the flowers and colours correspond.
'Then less often is more: An enormous bouquet of red roses doesn't say much more than a single flower,' said Braem. Should a multidimensional message be desired, a colourful bouquet is more significant and more varied.
Despite all the symbolism, one thing that remains true is this: 'When someone knows his or her partner's favourite flower, that's what should be given,' advises Dahlmann. It shows that the giver knows his or her partner and takes his or her preferences into consideration.
The personality of the recipient also comes into play if the giver wants to combine different flowers and colours.
'Introverts prefer harmonic tone-on-tone assemblies of flowers, making the overall expression softer and more discreet,' said Braem. A bouquet for extroverts on the other hand can easily include loud colour combinations and contrasts.
Generally, the trend is moving away from large, impressive bouquets.
'In great demand are individual, small arrangements in compact form,' said Dahlmann. Small flowers arranged in a vase or wreaths of flowers in the shape of a heart are examples. Ribbons, hearts and other symbols of Valentine's Day are the icing on the cake. And no bouquet should go without a written note, perhaps in the form of a card with colours that match the flowers.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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