| Flowers have been used for a lot of purposes since the outset of civilization, and are the carrier of significant meanings. For a great period of time the charming and delicate beauty of flowers has engrossed people of all cultures and religions. Flowers have been cultivated for their decorative beauty as well as their healing properties. Flowers have been the favourite topic of verse and myths, and religious symbols have been associated with flowers as well. A great many women are named after flowers. Some kinds of flowers were and are still used as food until these days; others have are used as natural. Ancient people also recognised the artistic role of flowers. In fact, some ancient cultures thought that they could propitiate their ancestors' spirits by decorating their tombs with a certain type of flowers.
The principal role that flowers have, still, is their power to demonstrate true human emotions and thoughts the way no other thing can. Whenever your feelings are too strong to express in words – be it passion, sorrow, happiness, or gratitude - try to express them by means of flowers.
The flower that has the most evident meaning is the rose, the everlasting sign of love and passion. In Christian symbolism the red rose is the symbol of passion and the blood of a sufferer. White roses symbolize innocence and innate charm, while pink roses symbolize felicity.
Along with conveying messages, flowers can also impact upon our mood and emotional state. According to a recent behavioural study carried out by the State University of New Jersey, the presence of colorful flowers triggers happy emotions and memories and impacts on social conduct positively. The healing properties of flowers have also been proved by scientific research.
German environmental psychologist Dr. Roger Ulrich found out that when hospital patients viewed flowers, their need for pain killing medicine reduced, their stress levels dropped and they became much more optimistic. Possibly, the positive impact flowers produce on hospital patients also have something to do with the meaning they have - they are visible and tangible proof that someone cares about them and wishes them well.
Flowers, therefore, have an instant impact on our emotional state and a long-term positive influence on our mood. |
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