Even the most beautiful bouquet can carry an unexpected symbolic meaning. Since ancient times, people have associated specific flowers with love, loyalty, and happiness, but others have been attributed with entirely different connotations — from jealousy to separation. According to one of the most persistent superstitions, yellow flowers gifted by a loved one foretell a breakup: this applies to both roses and tulips. If a boyfriend brings them to a date, a girl who believes in this omen might interpret the bouquet as a hint of parting. The negative attitude toward "sunny" bouquets, according to Ukrainian and European publications, did not arise from nothing—this belief has several sources, ranging from old legends to the Victorian "language of flowers."
The legend of betrayal: how red became yellow
There is a legend about betrayal associated with yellow roses. According to one version, a man suspected his wife of infidelity and was advised to tell her to throw red roses into water: the roses turned yellow, and he took this as confirmation of his suspicions. In the retelling provided by the Glavred publication, the hero is an Arab sultan returning from war: a wise man advised him to give his wife red roses and leave them by the bed, and if the flowers changed color by morning, his suspicions were correct. By morning, the petals had turned yellow, and ever since, this color has been considered a symbol of falsity and betrayal. In old Europe, according to the same data, yellow was considered the color of envy and betrayal, and a yellow bouquet could be an official message that feelings had passed.
The Victorian "language of flowers"
In 19th-century flower dictionaries, the specific choice of flower for a bouquet mattered. In Kate Greenaway's "Language of Flowers," a yellow rose meant waning jealousy or love, and a yellow tulip meant hopeless love. It is important to understand: these interpretations refer to the Victorian tradition, not to ancient Ukrainian customs. According to the Bodleian Library blog, a yellow tulip could mean both hopeless love and cheerful thoughts—that is, even within one tradition, the color did not have a single "correct" meaning.
How the meaning has changed today
Over time, the interpretations have been revised: today, yellow roses are more often gifted as a sign of friendship and joy rather than a farewell gesture. Nevertheless, other superstitions about gifted flowers have remained in everyday life. If a bouquet does not last a day in a vase, folklore suggests it was not "from the heart"—this is how people explain why one rose brings joy for almost a week, while another wilts by morning. There is also an omen about rose thorns: if you prick yourself while unwrapping the bouquet, it foretells a quarrel with the person who gave it. Among household superstitions is the belief that ivy brings quarrels and sometimes separation into a family; similar things were said about Hoya, which was called "widow's tears."
British folklore and the "kissing season"
Among yellow flowers in British folklore, gorse (a thorny bush) is also mentioned. There is a humorous saying about it, recorded by Plant-Lore: you can kiss a loved one as long as the gorse is in bloom. Since individual flowers can be found on it even in winter, the "kissing season," by this logic, lasts almost all year round. This example shows how the same color in different cultures and genres—from a sad symbol of separation to a kind joke—acquires opposite shades.
Fortune-telling on petals: from chamomile to poppy
For the familiar "loves me, loves me not" fortune-telling, a single chamomile is enough: you name the person you like and pluck the petals one by one, saying "loves me" on the first, "loves me not" on the second, and so on until the last; the answer depends on the word the last petal lands on. In some Swiss villages, as described in the "Flora's Pocket Dictionary," young men would "test" fidelity using a poppy: they would place one petal in the hollow of their left palm and slap it with their right hand—if the petal cracked with a sharp sound, it was considered a sign of fidelity, but if it remained intact, they suspected betrayal. This custom has ancient roots: lovers in Ancient Greece used similar methods to tell fortunes, as evidenced by the Byzantine dictionary "Suda," which explains the ancient Greek word for a poppy or anemone petal used to test feelings. Thus, flower superstitions are a living layer of folklore that has been passed down through the ages and still influences how people choose and perceive bouquets.
