In the Garden
Michael Miyashiro
Roses are red ...
Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, is an annual courtship ritual that has been going on since 496 A.D. The holiday is meant to honor St. Valentine, who allowed couples to marry during the Roman Empire, when marriage was forbidden. Feb. 14 was the day St. Valentine was put to death for disobeying a law. It coincides with the Feast of Lupercalia, Feb. 15, during which maidens' names were drawn in a lottery to match them with suitors.
During St. Valentine's last days in prison, he befriended a jailer's daughter and exchanged love notes and flowers with her. These early notes were the start of the Valentine's card we send to our loved ones today.
Flowers during this era would have been European bulbs sprouting through the cold soil, such as daffodils, narcissuses, tulips and hyacinths, and flowering branches. It was otherwise too cold for anything else to be in bloom. The rose at this time was a flower with only a single petal, which would not have been in bloom or worth giving.
It wasn't until the Victorian era that the giving of roses had replaced the true flowers of spring.
Roses of every imaginable color were developed, but the reds were a favorite of the queen, thus every woman wanted one. To this day, red is still the most popular color for roses, although special colors are re-emerging, to suit individual tastes.
In addition to roses, a multitude of spring flowers are grown for this holiday. Tulips, orchids, hyacinths, lilies, daisies and even a bird of paradise suggest true love in other parts of the world. Yellow flowers are given in Europe and other nations, as this is considered to be the color of love. Whatever color or type of flower you receive that day, it is customary for the recipient to send white flowers back the next day as an acceptance of their sender's love for another year.
Valentines have evolved through the centuries to include not only love letters and flowers, but also chocolates, dinners and jewelry. Flowers, especially roses, are still the No. 1 gift for Valentine's Day. Most important, a special note should be included.
Tell her in writing, preferably in your own penmanship, things you haven't said in a long time. Write them as if they were your last words she would ever know. This is what Valentine's Day is all about!
Michael Miyashiro owns Rainforest at Ward Warehouse. Contact him at 591-9999 or e-mail rainforesthawaii@aol.com.
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