It’s Valentine’s “season” again. A time when millions of people look for the cheapest deals and buys to buy Valentines Flowers and Candy for friends, lovers, coworkers, etc.  Many people send them as a gift to someone else through the mail or UPS.  It’s easy to find the cheapest flowers and candy. A quick look at Google will lead the way. But why do we give flowers and chocolate and candy in the first place? How did this tradition, and in some cases, this pressure, to send someone flowers or chocolate for Valentine’s Day, how did that even begin?
Why do we give flowers for Valentines Day? Most researchers believe that the tradition of giving flowers, in general, as a formal gift of appreciation and care, began in the 1700s. Charles II of Sweden started the tradition in Europe, after contact with Persians, for whom the tradition was already ancient. After this, it became quite in fashion to study and converse about the meanings of different flowers.
During this time, the red rose in particular became a tradition for the favorite of Valentine’s Day flowers. It became known as the flower of passion, romance and being in love. There is also a connection between the red rose and Venus, the Goddess of love.
The current tradition is that if someone gives you flowers, if they give you red roses, it means they have a romantic interest in you. If they give you other colors of roses, they may have a romantic interest, or may be just showing friendship and appreciation. However, if they give you a dead, shriveled rose, odds are they are sending another message! (believe it or not, there is actually a business that sends dead, wilted roses to people you are upset with. I won’t put their link here. I don’t want to give them any business.
 Chocolates became a treat of the rich in old Europe, and it has long been known that women in particular have a strong positive response to it. So it became a gift for a man to give a woman, much like flowers. (It was also a treat offered guests, in wealthier homes). According to some figures, 75% of all chocolate sold is sold in the month leading to Valentine’s Day, and 85% of all mail orders for chocolate are bought during this time.Â
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Page topic: Valentine’s Flowers, chocolate and candy: the tradition of sending Flowers and chocolate for Valentine’s Day