Hannah Longman
Hannah Longman
From fashion school in NYC to the front row, Hannah works to promote fashion and lifestyle as the communications liaison of Fashion Week Online®, responsible for timely communication of press releases and must-see photo sets.

What’s the Significance of Red and Pink Roses?

The Rose, a flower with multiple colors
There are many different varieties of roses with multiple colors. Each rose color has a meaning and a particular message to convey. Exploited since antiquity by the greatest poets such as Ronsard, roses will most of the time transmit a message of love. This article is intended to guide you to the true meaning of red rose.

You wish to offer a bouquet of roses, or an eternal rose? Don’t miss this article that will teach you all the stories and meanings of red and pink roses.

Meaning of red roses


The color red is a symbol of love, beauty and passion par excellence in the language of flowers as well as in the common language. Red roses are therefore perfect for a declaration of love. They will send a message of true love to the loved one. Of all roses, the red rose is considered the queen of flowers.

Let’s go back to its origins: According to Greek mythology, the queen of red roses was created following a passionate love between Adonis and Venus. Indeed, to help her injured beloved, Venus injured herself on a white rose. A few drops of her blood then transformed the purity of the white into a flaming red, in the image of their love. The rose is also used in wedding ceremonies, but also in funeral rites.

Beyond love, the red rose is also a political figure. In England, the red rose was the emblem of the country, following the war of the two roses which opposed two rival families in the 1400s. Today the red rose is still a very important symbol in England.

In France, the rose was honored at the end of the 14th century. The Duke of Orleans organized a festival in honor of the rose and subsequently created the Order of the Rose. The rose does not only have a loving meaning, it is also political but also cultural.

However, to declare one’s love, it is the red roses of passion that are essential! However, be careful to qualify the meanings, which vary according to the number: 1 rose means love at first sight. 2 roses represent forgiveness. 3 roses are offered to say I love you. An armful of 12 red roses implies a proposal of marriage… But if you’re madly in love, go all the way and offer 36 for a big declaration of love. For the more generous, a bouquet of 101 red roses will be the ultimate romantic gesture. And if you’re shy, a single rose tucked into the middle of a varied bouquet will make a statement.

For an even more lasting message of love, give a stabilized rose, also known as an “eternal rose” that will last forever.

Meaning of pink roses

The pink rose evokes attachment, tenderness and softness.

From a horticultural point of view, the pink rose is classic. It was the very first to be cultivated because pink roses are the most common in nature. They were a big hit in our Western culture, especially in the 18th century, during the Romantic era, when the pink rose was widely represented on wallpaper, upholstery and greeting cards. While it continues to represent romance, it tends, nowadays, to acquire more modernity thanks to more and more refined bouquets.

In the language of flowers, the more pink a rose is marked, the more its symbolism will be that of gratitude and recognition. The more pale the rose is, the more it will be associated with a message of sweetness.

The pink rose is also the flower of beauty and femininity par excellence. It expresses gallantry and tenderness and is offered not only in a romantic context, but whenever you want to convey a message of sweetness.

Pink roses can be offered to a friend, a colleague, a grandmother but also to any person for whom you feel affection. So don’t hesitate any longer, and offer a bouquet of pink roses! Now you know what both red and pink roses mean.

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