Jun 23, 2020
Red Rose Day - History of the National Holiday
Did you know that June 12th is Red Rose Day? This national holiday comes around every year to remind everyone of the meaning of love. Think of it as a distant cousin to Valentine’s Day.
Why is that, you ask? Well, the red rose is a universal symbol of love, affection, and romance. That’s why the color of Valentine’s Day is generally seen as red. And it’s the reason why red roses are given on this day.
So during Red Rose Day, it’s a time to celebrate the love that we have for one another and to just be nicer to those around us.
But where did this national holiday come from, and why do we celebrate it? To answer these questions, we first have to explore where the red rose got its meaning.
The Meaning of the Red Rose
It’s no secret that the red rose is widely known to communicate love. People all around the world have been using roses to communicate feelings for generations. But love isn’t the only emotion that roses were used to convey.
Yellow roses, for example, were once given to torn lovers as an expression of jealousy or betrayal. It wasn’t until around 5,000 years ago that roses became widely used to express such emotions.
We know through earth’s history that roses were regularly used by the Chinese, Greeks, and Romans for a variety of purposes. In fact, it was around the time of the Victorian era that roses were used as a form of currency!
In the 15th century, there was even a war named after roses. Really! There were rival factions in England that both used the rose as their personal symbol.
This culminated in what was referred to as the War of the Roses, a battle between the House of York and the House of Lancaster, or the white rose and red rose, respectively.
This war became so brutal that it eventually wiped out the male lines of both the York and Lancaster families.
Fast forward to modern times, and roses aren’t viewed as such symbols. They are revered as symbols of love, regardless of the color.
But it is the red rose that is seen as the ultimate symbol of love. They are commonly given on holidays like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day for that very reason. It’s a way to express our love and gratitude to the special women in our lives.
It’s certainly far removed from the earlier periods in our history. Instead of being seen as the catalyst for war, roses are beloved all over the world. In fact, the Spanish, French, and Portuguese all use the word “rose” to represent the color red.
The History of Red Rose Day
The exact history of when Red Rose Day started isn’t completely agreed upon. We don’t have any information as to who actually petitioned for the holiday to be started, but we do have some information on why it was started.
At one time, Red Rose Day was simply an extension of the week of Valentine’s Day. But something happened within the last decade or so that caused Red Rose Day to break away and become its very own holiday.
It’s interesting that it was moved so far away from Valentine’s Day, with three whole months in between the two holidays. With that said, it does give everyone some breathing room and makes a great time to surprise those who are important to us.
With Red Rose Day, it allows couples to celebrate anything that is special to them. It’s a great time to send your mother roses and tell her how much she means to you. It’s ideal for letting your wife know that you are thinking about her.
Some people send red roses to all of the special ladies in their lives, whether it be siblings, spouses, or children. But it’s not all gifts and giving that Red Rose Day is used for.
This holiday is quickly becoming popular to host special activities. Some couples or individuals like to plant rose bushes on this date. It’s a great way to breathe some life into the flower gardens around your home.
Many people like to deck out their home’s interior with red roses on this day. A great way to do this activity is with our Large Square of Eternity® Roses. You get 36 magnificent Eternity Roses to use as décor around your home.
What makes these roses so special, however, is that they don’t wither and die like traditional roses. Our unique Eternity Roses are carefully curated to last an entire year without losing their beauty and vibrancy!
This means you can place these roses throughout your home until next year’s Red Rose Day. If you’re someone who likes to celebrate holidays to their fullest extent, our Eternity Roses are the perfect solution.
What’s great about our flowers is their beauty and longevity. After they have decorated your home for so long, you can send them to friends and family! With 36 of these stunning roses in your possession, you can gift just about anyone who is close to you.
Since they don’t lose their vigor, you don’t have to worry about your gift withering away after sending it.
You can even choose the color you want your roses to be, making them ideal for all kinds of holidays and special occasions.
Ideas for Red Rose Day
You already know that Red Rose Day is the perfect holiday to send red roses to those you love and care about. But there are other things you can do on this special day that will make for a truly romantic or memorable event.
You might consider taking your love to a rose garden. It’s the perfect time of year for such an occasion, too. Depending on where you live, there are some incredible rose gardens that are definitely worthy of your time and consideration.
Take the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, for instance. Located in San Jose, CA, this garden is widely referred to as “America’s Best Rose Garden.”
And once you visit, you are sure to agree. Of its 11 acres, there are more than 4,000 roses to feast your eyes on! With so many roses to care for and maintain, it takes a lot of manpower to keep this garden looking so spectacular.
In fact, there are hundreds of volunteers from around the area who put in a lot of hard work each and every week. The roses here bloom all year long, too, so you can always stop by for a treat – not just on Red Rose Day.
This location is so amazing that it is regularly used for weddings and other special events. If you plan on proposing on Red Rose Day, the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden makes the perfect setting.
On the other side of the United States is the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Rose Garden, located in Sarasota, Florida.
It is here that you will find 1,200 roses as part of the 20-acre land. This rose garden takes up about 2/3 of an acre and is a dazzling sight to behold. There are other fun and interesting things to see and do when you visit here that are sure to make your Red Rose Day getaway a truly memorable experience.
The Longmont Memorial Rose Garden is based in Longmont, Colorado at Roosevelt Park. This garden was first planted back in 1945 and is dedicated to all of the veterans across the country who fought in a war.
There are an impressive 2,000 rose bushes planted here that display 190 different types of roses! This garden is sure to make Red Rose Day special.
Another fun but much simpler activity is to press and dry a red rose. This form of preservation is a great way to commemorate each Red Rose Day that you celebrate with someone special.
You can start a collection each year and include a write-up about what you did on Red Rose Day that year. You can even share these on your social media and compare your red roses with friends and family who take part in the celebration.
Additionally, social media is an excellent resource to share your Red Rose Day experiences with others. You may learn of new things you can do with your mate on this special day.
In Summary
People are coming up with some truly creative and unique ways of commemorating Red Rose Day. You may just find something that you really enjoy and want to do every year. The important thing is to have fun.
If you don’t have anyone to share it with, you might want to consider using Red Rose Day as the perfect opportunity to invite someone special in your life to experience a fun activity together.
You never know what doors it could open for the both of you. And wouldn’t be a great story to tell and look back on many Red Rose Days later?
External sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/wars-of-the-roses
