National Red Rose Day is a holiday that falls annually on June 12th. This day honors and commemorates the rose, a flower that is probably one of the most symbolic flowers of all time. Red roses have been used throughout history to symbolize romance and love. They not only symbolize love in the U.S. but people all over the world consider the rose to be a universal expression of love. Of course, that is in the modern age. Throughout history, the red rose has symbolized different things to different cultures.

The History of Red Roses

Alas, we’ve been unable to unearth the origin of National Red Rose Day. Whoever invented this holiday didn’t leave us any clues as to why or when they invented it. So we decided to put our nose to the grindstone and find out the history of red roses throughout the ages, and this is what we discovered.

In ancient Greece, the red rose was the symbol for Aphrodite, or Venus in ancient Rome. That’s probably how the red rose originally became a symbol of love. However, throughout history, this flower not only symbolized love but also symbolized other things as well. At the dawn of Christianity, it became associated with the virtue of the Virgin Mary, and throughout the Middle Ages, the red rose symbolized the blood that Jesus shed while being crucified on the cross, while the white rose would become an important symbol for the Virgin Mary.

As the Middle Ages continued, only women who were virgins could wear a red rose garland, and imagery of the era often shows the Virgin Mary surrounded by roses. However, this meaning was only among the religious. Poets, troubadours, and trouvères saw it differently. They saw it as a form of earthly love, and under the medieval European literary conception of love known as Courtly Love, it became a symbol not only of earthly passions but also of the female body.

Nowadays, the red rose is a symbol of love and romance, and it’s the most gifted rose for Valentine’s Day. When giving a gift of red roses, however, the person should realize that the number of roses given to a person also has a symbolic meaning. For example, if you give a person a single red rose, that means love at first sight. However, if you give them two roses, that means a shared, deep love. And nine roses symbolize eternal love that stretches beyond time and space.

Observing National Red Rose Day

National Red Rose Day can be observed by either buying yourself flowers or by gifting someone some flowers. You can also spend the day learning more about the fascinating history of the red rose, by visiting your local botanical gardens and seeing some red roses in person, or even by planting your own rose bush. While observing this holiday, don’t forget to share pictures of your red roses using the hashtag #NationalRedRoseDay.