FLORAL GIFT’S FOR VALENTINES DAY

As one of the most celebrated holidays, you’ll certainly be familiar with the traditions of sending flowers to a loved one or new love interest on Valentine’s day, but have you ever thought about why we do this and how the holiday came about? Here at Lully & Rose Floral Studio, we are suckers for love, and we cherish the opportunity to be a part of your romantic celebrations by creating luxury arrangements for you to show your love with floral gifts for Valentine’s Day. We work with only the best textured, seasonal, perfumed florals and foliages so you know that your lover will receive a truly breathtaking designer arrangement. If it’s stylish, contemporary and meaningful you’re looking for, we’ve thought of every detail so you don’t have to. From our signature silky rose gold ribbon to premium crisp white tissue, the presentation of our premium arrangements is truly something to behold and will bring a little extra romance to your flower delivery.

Read on to learn more about the origins of Valentine’s Day in this blog, and the romantic florals associated with this celebration. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t have to be all about red roses, unless you want it to be!

Legend of St Valentine 

St Valentine is often depicted as a gentle looking figure surrounded by roses and with a quill in his hand, perhaps to depict the famous words he wrote ‘from your Valentine’, which are still used the world over today to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The legends of St Valentine are not as clear cut as you may have thought though, and though it’s widely accepted that St Valentine was a real person, he has since been removed from the official list of Catholic saints due to the uncertainty surrounding his history. Nonetheless, the legends of St Valentine have shaped this modern day celebration of love we all know so well – though the history books are not all roses as we may have hoped for this figure of romance and love.

St Valentine represents at least one, though there are possibly two or more figures who lived around the same time who were amalgamated to form these stories, Roman Catholic priest or Bishop in the 3rd Century who rebelled against the Emperor Claudius in the name of love to perform secret weddings. During this era, the Emperor had outlawed marriage for young men in Rome, due to a belief that unmarried men made for better and stronger soldiers. This practice didn’t turn out well for Valentine, though, and he was eventually captured and imprisoned in the home of a nobleman who had a blind daughter. Legend has it that Valentine performed a miracle and restored the daughter’s sight, causing the whole family to convert to Christianity, sealing Valentine’s fate to be tortured and executed at the order of the Emperor. It is said his final act was to write to the daughter whom he had cured, signing it ‘from your Valentine’.

Valentine was a very popular name in ancient Rome, and it is believed there were two Valentines who shared the execution date of February 14 in the 3rd Century and one or both of these men are the likely source of the St Valentine’s legends.

History of Valentine’s Day 

The first Saint Valentine’s Feast Day was held in the year 496. It has been speculated that the celebration of Valentine’s Day on February 14 originated from the Catholic church’s desire to replace the pagan holiday of Lupercalia (celebrated on February 15). In ancient Rome, Lupercalia was a festival of fertility dedicated to the god Faunus, as well as the city’s founders Romulus and Remus. Around 200 years after the first Saint Valentine’s Day Feast,  the Pope officially instituted Saint Valentine’s Day on the Catholic Calendar of Saints and prayers were said to the patron saint of  love to bless couples’ lives together and give thanks for the love of friends and family.

Despite it’s somewhat macabre beginnings with the execution of St Valentine, Valentine’s Day really became associated with courtly love and romance in the Middle Ages thanks to the works of poets and bards like Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakepeare, who cited the day in their works:

“For this was on Saint Valentine’s day,

When every fowl comes there his mate to take,

Of every species that men know, I say,

And then so huge a crowd did they make,

That earth and sea, and tree, and every lake

Was so full, that there was scarcely space

For me to stand, so full was all the place.”

(Excerpt from Chaucer’s ‘Parliament of Fowls’, translated into modern English by A.S Kline).

 

“To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s Day,

All in the morning bedtime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine”

(Excerpt from Shakepeare’s ‘Hamlet’).

 

On Valentine’s Day in 1400, the city of love itself, Paris, established a High Court of Love to hear cases regarding marriage, divorce, infidelity and domestic violence. The judges were chosen by women, and are said to have been selected based on their ability to recite poetry! In 1415, the French Duke Charles of Orleans wrote a letter to his love interest on Valentine’s Day, in line with the tradition of card writing we know so well now.

Modern Valentine’s Day Traditions

Giving gifts for Valentine’s Day is a newer tradition, preceded by the famous Valentine’s letter or card. Valentine’s Day cards rose to popularity in the 18th century, and were handmade by lovers with puzzles, lines of poetry and romantic motifs. As the postal service grew, so did the practice of sending these love letters and cards. Today’s traditions and gifts for Valentine’s Day stem from the Victorian era, when the practice of floriography (sending messages through flowers) became popular in Western culture, and people would send bouquets of flowers as messages of their love – a practice that has lasted the test of time due to the joy and happiness that flowers bring.

In 1913, Hallmark first began offering printed Valentine’s Day cards and still does to this day, approximating that 145 million Valentine’s cards are exchanged every year, second only to Christmas. From picnics in the park to fancy champagne dinners, there are many ways to mark Valentine’s Day, and we think it’s all about the individual couple taking the opportunity to celebrate their unique love! Popular gifts for Valentine’s Day include stuffed animals, jewellery, chocolates and, of course, flowers.

Significance of Red Roses for Valentine’s Day 

Here at LULLY & ROSE Floral Studio, you know how much we just love romance, and letting flowers say what words can’t express alone. The most recognisable gifts for Valentine’s Day are of course a bouquet of red roses or a single-stemmed rose. In the secret language of flowers, a red rose is the classic symbol for romance, and has been a popular choice since the Victorian era for its associations with passion and romantic love. Pink and red flower colours, particularly for roses, are associated with meanings of sweetness, true love, and romance.

If you’re going to splurge on flowers once a year, make it on Valentine’s Day to express your love with fresh, luxury florals! While red and pink roses are traditional gifts for Valentine’s Day, we think the floral world is truly your oyster on this day and it is the perfect opportunity to show your beau just how well you know them.

Choosing Valentine’s Day Flowers

There’s no need to send a dozen red roses if your lover would much prefer an en masse bouquet of white chrysanthemums or hydrangeas. Choosing a flower with a special meaning, especially if it’s personalised to your relationship, will make your gifts for Valentine’s Day all the more significant. If you’d like to learn more about flowers and their meanings – be sure to check out our blog series on the secret language of flowers to start gifting your own messages with floriography.

If you’re married, think about the florals that were featured in your wedding and include a floral from the bouquet for a sentimental touch, or request a luxury arrangement from us in their favourite colour palette for a truly personal gift this Valentine’s day.

Shop our Gift Range 

If you’d like to add that extra touch of luxury to your arrangement, we offer a beautiful range of artisanal Australian-made gifts to take your gifts for Valentine’s Day to the next level. Choose from handmade Byron Bay chocolates from Loco & Love, premium home fragrance from Myles Gray or add a little extra fizz to your romantic celebration with Tasmanian Sparkling Wine or French Champagne.

Order from LULLY & ROSE Online 

Order online from LULLY & ROSE Floral Studio for same day delivery on all orders placed before 12pm. We are a luxury boutique floral studio located in the heart of the Gold Coast, and as Gold Coast florists it’s important to us to support local wherever we can, which is why we source the vast majority of our florals and foliages from Australian growers and farmers. For our florists delivery, we only use our partnered specialty floral courier, Avidity Deliveries, who treat your arrangements with the same love and care we do, delivering them on time and with every petal in place.

Choose from designer posies, bouquets, vase arrangements, gift hampers and more for a truly special gift this Valentine’s Day – you’re sure to find something to impress your love in our range.