Every month has a distinct flower attached to it, one that may serve as a unique gift while at the same time, saying something important about your personality.
Birth flowers symbolize a particular tone in every month, and are often used as gifts for a person’s birthday. This is linked to the culture of flower symbolism based on their properties and colors, an idea practiced for generations by different cultures and religions all around the world, until it was popularized in Europe and the US during the 19th century when it was called The Language of Flowers. (Wikipedia)
January: Carnation
Represents: distinction, love, and gratitude
Character traits: endurance
The Carnation comes in many different colors, and each one has a different meaning. During the cold month of January in the northern hemisphere, the Carnation blooms in non-frozen areas despite the cold - making it a symbol of distinction and endurance.
February: Iris
Represents: faithfulness, valor, and wisdom
Character traits: modesty and truthfulness
While February is usually filled with roses because of Valentine’s Day, February’s birth flower is actually the Iris (also known as Violet). It was named after the Greek goddess Iris and it has been used as a symbol of royalty.
March: Daffodil
Represents: rebirth, happiness
Character traits: joyfulness and young at heart
As spring begins in March, the Daffodil reflects a lot of the same symbolism, representing new beginnings and rebirth, as they are usually the first flowers to bloom during spring.
April: Daisy
Represents: love, youth, trust, and innocence
Character traits: cheerfulness
Daisies bloom in spring and last until early fall. They represent innocence, but in the Language of Flowers, giving someone a bouquet of daisies means you can keep a secret.
May: Lily of the Valley
Represents: virtue, humility, and honor
Character traits: purity of heart
According to the Language of Flowers, the Lily of the Valley symbolizes a return to happiness. The Christian tradition sometimes links this flower to the Virgin Mary, saying that it bloomed from her tears during the crucifixion of Christ. In the religious sense, the flower represents humility.
The Lily of the Valley was featured as a major plot device on the fourth season of the hit show Breaking Bad. (Breaking Bad Wikia)
June: Rose
Represents: love, passion, and perfection
Character traits: devotion
Roses were represented many times in literature as a symbol of love and passion - it’s thorns representing the obstacles one must overcome or accept to embrace love. Each color represents a different trait: pink means happiness, red means love, white means purity, and yellow means jealously.
Many fictional characters were named Rose, but one that stands out because of her nature in the story is Rose Tyler, from Doctor Who. She honors her name many times by proving her devotion to the Doctor time and time again, but most notably, she is also the first (and only) companion the Doctor fell in love with.
July: Larkspur
Represents: open heart, lightness, and levity
Character traits: loyalty
Coming in a wide range of colors, just like roses, larkspurs represent an ardent attachment with an open heart, but also lightness and levity. For that reason, the larkspur represents strong bonds of love.
August: Gladiolus
Represents: strength, moral integrity, and infatuation
Character traits: sincerity and strong character
Named after the latin word for sword (“gladius”), the Gladiolus mainly represents strength and infatuation, because it’s such a long lasting flower.
September: Aster
Represents: love, magic, and elegance
Character traits: patience
Asters are known to bring good luck, and in Ancient times were believed to have magical properties. Nowadays it commonly represents deep affection and elegance, as it lasts longer than other flowers in bouquets.
October: Marigold
Represents: affection, grace, and sympathy
Character traits: fierceness and devotion
The Marigold represents undying love and devotion, and they can’t survive when cut. They are beautiful flowers that are also used medicinally.
In the video game series The Witcher, the protagonist’s companion and love interest is a powerful sorceress called Triss Merigold. She nurses him back to health and falls in love with him - the name “Merigold” being, no doubt, an intentional representation of her undying love.
November: Chrysanthemum
Represents: optimism, love, and positivity
Character traits: compassion
Like roses, these beautiful winter flowers come in different colors that represent different emotions: red means love, white means innocence, and yellow means unrequited love. An old Chinese myth said that drinking chrysanthemum tea would make one live up to a 100 years old.
December: Poinsettia
Represents: cheer and merriment
Character traits: devotion
The Poinsettia is now the quintessential flower of Christmas - symbolizing the joyful celebrations of December, this flower entered the Christmas tradition around the 16th century, representing cheerfulness and success.
Did your birth flower make sense to you? Did you relate to its meaning? Let us known in the comments and follow us on Facebook for more awesome articles every day!
