Red Roses are given as a token of love. But are also associated with death.
In early Christian times the five petals of a red rose were thought of as the five wounds of Christ. However the leaders of the Christian church were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. Because of this the red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs and later was associated with the Virgin Mary.
The Red Rose is the national flower of England and in many countries it has come to represent socialism or social democracy.
A bouquet of red roses is often used to show love. It is used as a Valentine's Day gift in many countries.
On St George's Day in Catalonia, Spain, people offer dark red roses as gifts, especially between lovers. The Virolai, a hymn to the Virgin of Montserrat, one of the black Madonnas of Europe, begins with the words: "Rosa d’abril, Morena de la serra..." (April rose, dusky lady of the mountain chain...). Therefore this virgin is sometimes known as “Rosa d’abril”. The red rose is thus widely accepted as an unofficial symbol of Catalonia, Spain.
Red Roses
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