What’s in a Rose?

A weekly column

As I rode the escalator up to the top of Lenoir, I made eye contact with a man dressed in a tuxedo, a far cry from the t-shirt and jeans I was wearing.  He grabbed a rose out of a basket to give to me, and the 4 seconds between making eye contact and finally getting to the top of the escalator was the most awkward few moments of the week.  Many of us are getting roses this week but what is the significance of a rose?

Many of us give roses without thinking twice.  But, roses come in many different colors and each color can mean something different.  Below are a list of different colored roses and what they mean.

Red: This is the most common color of a rose, and it traditionally means love.  A red rose doesn’t always have to be picked for your significant other but for anyone that you love like family.  For example, my brother and I send red roses to our grandmother to tell her that even though we do not see her often, we love her. 

Pink: Pink can mean different things depending on shade but the most common meaning of a pink rose is admiration or gratitude.  A pink rose should be sent to someone to show great appreciation or someone who has helped you through hard times. 

Yellow: A yellow rose may be the sweetest rose to give to someone.  A yellow rose means friendship and hopefully between all your relationships, there is a basis of friendship. 

White: In a traditional sense white means innocence and purity and in the language or rose, it still holds this meaning.  There are actually many meanings attached to the white rose.  White roses are seen many times at weddings, which mean new beginnings.  On the other hand, they can also be used to represent remembrance of a past loved one. 

Orange: The color orange is a mix of yellow and red, which gives insight on the meaning of this rose.  The orange rose represents desire, excitement, and romance that can be used to say you want to move a relationship past just friendship.  An orange rose could give the red rose a run for its money!

Lavender: This beautiful, rich color catches the eye and, just as the color does, the lavender rose represents love at first sight.  First impressions last a long time, and giving a lavender rose could be a great way to make a positive, lasting impression. 

So, next time you give someone a rose put a little more thought into it. You could be saying something you mean or don’t mean to say.  Send mixed colors or a bouquet of one color depending on what you are trying to say.  Although Valentines Day is past, anytime throughout the year you can use roses to send a meaningful message. 

Happy Valentine’s Day, readers <3

(Note: The Angry Beard column will return next week; this week the author was out of town and out of a laptop)