The life of every person is filled with events, both joyful and sad, often mournful. One of the most difficult life experiences is the loss of a loved one. At such moments, the need for the support and empathy of others is especially acute.
You can express condolences in many ways: with a kind word, deed, material help. One of the traditional ways to honor the memory of the deceased is a bouquet or wreath of mourning flowers.
The tradition of accompanying a person with flowers on his last journey is rooted in the distant past. Initially, together with the deceased, they sent everything that he might need in a new life to the other side of the world: clothes, jewelry, cutlery, personal belongings, and, as an adornment of the future life, flowers. With the advent of Christianity, flowers took a special place in the burial ceremony as a symbol of the resurrection and a sign of respect for the deceased.
One or another specific meaning was attached to certain types of mourning flowers, for example, red roses were laid on the martyr, white roses or lilies were laid on a person whose moral purity was admired. The laid wreaths of spruce branches spoke of the eternity of being. This perception has left a certain imprint on the tradition of presenting flowers and placing them in the house. So, today it is not customary to give red carnations to women and young men, compositions with branches of evergreen plants are considered capable of bringing trouble to those who keep them in a living room.
Until recently, dry and artificial flowers were considered unacceptable in the house.
Choice traditions
There are certain rules for choosing and presenting mourning flowers. So the number of flowers in a bouquet should be odd. This is a long-standing tradition that arose on the basis of the idea that even numbers symbolize completeness, the finale of human life, laconicism.
For large bouquets and wreaths, the parity rules can be omitted.
Funeral flowers should be of cold shades or dark red, it is these colors that correspond to the solemnity and tragedy of the moment, fit into the context of what is happening. Most often, funeral bouquets consist of flowers such as roses, carnations, lilies, chrysanthemums. Also, sometimes daffodils and calla lilies are used as mourning flowers, since they symbolize death - like a dream, after which awakening will follow - resurrection into eternal life. Because of the fragility of the flower, they prefer to decorate the grave by planting the plant in the ground, rather than presenting it in bouquets.
Having difficulty in choosing mourning flowers, you can always opt for red carnations that will look solemn and correspond to the moment.
Symbolism
Each funeral flower carries a specific meaning. So, irises symbolize rebirth, show that a person who passed away still remains in your heart. Lilies and violets usually accompany clergymen on the last journey, and red roses reflect special affection, sincere love for the deceased. The willows symbolize eternal life, and the red carnation can rightfully be considered a universal companion of mourning ceremonies.
