Fraternity-Testvériség, 2009 (87. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2009-07-01 / 3. szám
THE MEANING OF FLOWERS IN HUNGARIAN WREATH-LAYING CEREMONIES by Kathy A. Megyeri On July 23, 2009, Captive Nations Week was celebrated in Washington, DC and a proclamation by President Obama was read at the Victims of Communism Memorial. Representing HRFA’s Branch 300 was its President, Attila Kocsis, and representing the Home Office was Kati Levay-Nagy who both placed a wreath in front of the memorial. Hungarian wreath-laying is a common event, whether Hungarians are celebrating a tribute to Lajos Kossuth, Oct. 23rd, August 20th or March 15th. But other than notice the attached banner composed of red, white and green, few people focus specifically on the flowers chosen for these wreaths, and their meaning is significant. The Romans honored their heroes with laurel wreaths, and Greek mythology explains the meaning of many of the flowers used in wreaths. William Shakespeare knew the significance of flowers well for even in his play, Hamlet, Ophelia recites the meanings of the herbs and flowers she carries in her arms. Elizabethan poets extolled the virtues of flowers but it’s the Victorians who turned flower-giving into an art form. A French woman, Madame de la Tour, wrote a book entitled Le Langage des Fleurs and gave us a floral code that magnified the meaning in choosing flowers and presenting them well. If the flowers were upside down, the opposite meaning was intended; i.e., if tulips were presented with their stems uppermost, it meant a blatant rejection from a lover. If the ribbon was tied to the left, the meaning referred to the giver. If tied to the right, the meaning referred to the recipient. And receivers of flowers responded by wearing a flower in different ways. If a woman wore the flower on her heart, it meant love, but if she wore it in her hair, it meant caution on her part. Ivy conveyed fidelity but combined with jonquils, it signified a request for a return to faithfulness. Red carnations signified the blood of Christ and were usually sent by a heartbroken suitor to one he loved. Even the color of roses was significant; the Cabbage Rose implies love, the Rose la France invites a loved one to meet by moonlight, and the Yellow Rose means that love is waning. Probably no one appreciated flowers more than Elizabeth Barrett Browning who was imprisoned in her sick room for long periods of time. She writes with gratitude for the posies picked for her by her husband- poet Robert Browning. Picking flowers one has grown oneself has always been a great source of joy and no doubt accounts for the love of flower gardens nearby many English and Hungarian homes. The most commonly used flowers in Hungarian wreaths are by far the white and red carnations and roses combined with the greenery that make up Hungary’s national colors. The cultivation of these flowers dates back to over two thousand years, and it is said that the plants came to England with the Normans. The first to use carnations in wreaths were the Greeks who also incorporated them in garlands for their festivals, from which came the word “coronation.” From those events, the word “Carnation” is derived. Carnations were sometimes even added to wine and ale to add spiciness. The rose, however, is one of the oldest flowers known to man and is still one of the most popular. Nebuchadnezzar used them to adorn his palace, and in Persia, where they were grown for their perfumed oil, the petals were used to fill the Sultan’s mattress. In Kashmir, the Moghul emperors cultivated beautiful rose gardens, and roses were strewn in the river to welcome them on their return home. Roses later became synonymous with the worst excesses of the Roman Empire - the peasants were reduced to growing roses instead of food crops in order to satisfy the demands of their rulers. The emperors even filled their swimming baths and fountains with rosewater and sat on carpets of rose petals for their feasts and orgies. One ruler enjoyed showering his guests with rose petals which tumbled down from the ceiling during his Did you know that you can buy or get a quote ONLINE, INSTANTLY AT 14 FALL 20
