Flowers are one of the best ways of expressing ourselves, our feelings, while also enticing our visual sense. With the help of a flower, we can tell someone that we love them; we can bring positive vibes to a place or we can decorate our homes and offices, that’s why maybe sometimes we underrate the flowers. This article contains the story of the beautiful orchid, its origins, and its meanings. You can learn:
* Etymology of orchids
* The meaning of orchid’s colors
Etymology of Orchids
The name itself “orchid” comes from the Greek “orkhis,” which symbolizes fertility; that’s why orchids are the universal symbols of love. There are over 2000 species of orchids, but the most popular one, the moth orchid, was discovered by being mistaken as a moth by the Swedish naturalist Osbeck Peter.
Meaning and Symbols
Because of their name, orchids have always been associated with fertility, love, and passion. Due to their exotic look, they give any place a romantic feeling.
One of the most popular is paphiopedilum, which comes from ‘Paphos,’ the Greek temple where Aphrodite, the love goddess, was worshiped. Ancient Greeks ate the orchid tubers, believing that they can choose the gender of their child this way. For instance, when the mother ingested thin tubers, the future child is a girl, while thick tubers eaten by the father meant that they have a boy.
Even though they have a wild, exotic appearance, orchids have always been related to royalty and nobility; they require to be offered special attention and love. They symbolize our desire to reach greatness or to develop intimacy. Their perfect petals speak for themselves and show the perfection of nature.
The orchids are a symbol of love, and that could also be translated as a reminder of self-love. That self-love makes us unique, special, beautiful and allows us to dream about our goals because they emit self-love through their beauty.
In the Victorian age, the orchids were very rare and found only in tropics. That’s why the Victorians would see them as a sign of luxury and would offer them only to very special people.
The Aztecs have mixed the vanilla orchid with chocolate and believed this meal would make their warriors more powerful and more successful in their battles.
Chinese people believe that orchids offer healthy children; that’s why they’ve always been using orchid essential oils to boost fertility and offered orchids to future parents. They show power, and that’s why in Japan, people associate them with abundance and luxury. They put them everywhere because fertility needs to be present in all our life’s aspects, even business. In China, the orchid has also been used as an alternative medicine for coughs, kidney, stomach, lung, and eye problems.
Orchids are also well known for their subtle yet beautiful fragrance, that’s why many people choose to buy orchid perfumes. The well-known vanilla extract, which we use in baked goods and sweets, is actually made from the vanilla orchid plant.
The Meaning of Orchid’s Colors
When it comes to colors, we have to be careful when offering orchids, as their colors can give the flowers different meanings.
A red orchid symbolizes passion, love, and strong emotions. Is it the ideal gift for your partner, but not your mother or sister. It helps to express your strong love feelings and make the woman feel loved and cherished. It emphasizes passion and fire.
A blue orchid is a sign of uniqueness and beauty. It is not necessarily related to love feelings, so it could be an excellent gift for someone you admire. The blue color is also associated with sincerity and spirituality, so you can offer it to someone you find uniquely beautiful.
A pink orchid symbolizes femininity, romance, and gentleness. They can be an offer to your crush or partner, but won’t send a wrong romantic message to someone, as they can simply mean you like and respect the person.
A white orchid symbolizes purity, innocence, beauty, and faith. You can offer a white orchid to anyone you respect, even a special friend. It can also be an excellent gift for your partner, which means you cherish their pure beauty. It is also ideal for a bride’s floral design, which might offer her a wild, yet pure and innocent vibe.
Purple orchids are unique and powerful. They symbolize royalty, luxury, and wealth. They can be offered to anyone, as they’re not necessarily romantic, and make them understand you consider them special, unique, and you respect them.
A yellow orchid symbolizes happiness, joy, and good energy. They can be offered to anyone, as they raise anyone’s mood. They’re also the right choice for your bedroom or living room, as they bring a positive and good vibe to your home.
An orange orchid is a good idea for your office, as it symbolizes creativity and success and can always be there to remind you that you can do anything you desire. It also symbolizes enthusiasm, which always brings you a positive mood.
A green orchid is not that usual and symbolizes freshness, cleanliness, and safety. They’re perfect for your office or home, but can also be given to anyone, as they’re a sign of friendship and admiration.
Orchids have always been one of the best choices when it comes to flowers. They bring any room a good vibe; they bring your living room a luxurious feeling; they can remind you to always be your true self by their unique appearance. We should always be unique and special, just like an orchid. They also can remind us of our own beauty.
Orchids are there to make us remember that the energy we give is the energy we get, that’s why we always have to be sincere, honest and positive, in order to get back the same.