National Red Rose Day- June 12th

Red Rose Day is celebrated on June 12, in the U.S., to pay tribute to one of the most iconic symbols of love and romance throughout history — the red rose. Incidentally, the rose is also the birth flower for June, and June is a popular month for weddings; so what could be more apt. While roses all over the nation begin to bloom, National Red Rose Day is a time for lovers, botanists, florists, and basically, anyone else, to get together to pay tribute to this classical flower. It has stood the test of time and will probably do so for years to come. The best part is that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a nature lover, just stopping to smell the roses and marvel at their beauty; or if you’re a hopeless romantic who likes to make gestures — the red rose is as versatile as can be, to suit your interpretation of it. Also, did you know that in three different languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and French) the word ‘rose’ means ‘red?’

HISTORY OF RED ROSE DAY

In keeping with the sense of romance and mystique which a red rose can evoke, the exact origins of Red Rose Day are unknown, though it is said to have branched off from Rose Day (celebrated during Valentine’s Week in February), for the past decade. Whatever the reason for this separation, we are glad to have an excuse to give this scarlet bloom its due.

Surprisingly, the first records of roses being cultivated come from China, around 5000 years ago, during the Han Dynasty (141-87 B.C.). Though the flowers were what we call Chinese roses (a variant of Hibiscus flowers) or wild roses, they had similar characteristics to the modern-day red rose and can be seen in paintings and pottery of that era. The red rose then made its way to the culture-soaked civilizations of Rome and Greece, where it was cultivated and evolved into what we know it as today, in the Middle East especially. For the Greeks and Romans, the red rose was a symbol of luxury and an object of inspiration for many painters and writers. Perhaps that is why we now associate this luxurious flower with passion and grandiosity. By the time Christianity spread to Europe, the rose’s popularity dipped because it was seen as encouraging vices like excess and decadence.

However, it soon rose in popularity again and went on to have a bit of a bloody history too. In Tudor England (1500s), two royal factions — House of York and House of Lancaster, each with a rose as their symbol, fought a series of battles against each other, which are now collectively termed as the War of the Roses. House Lancaster (red rose) eventually emerged victoriously, and the two roses were merged to form the ‘Tudor Rose’. Other than this bit of violent history, however, the red rose continues to be a popular expression of love, romance, beauty, and all things that are right with the world.

RED ROSE DAY TIMELINE

1455 War of the Roses Begins

Battles are fought between two opposing Houses under the monarchy in England, each represented by a rose (red and white).

1974 The Rose Makes Poetic History

Robert Burns first publishes “A Red, Red Rose” as a Scots song, which later becomes a poem.

1986 The Rose Becomes the U.S. National Flower

President Ronald Reagan declares the rose as the national flower of America, standing in the White House rose garden.

2016 The Rose Gets Its Own Coinage

Canadian artist, Claudio D’Angelo, creates a $3 silver coin with two blooming roses; plated in rose gold.