Lilium

Floral Message

In Christian symbolism the lily represents purity, chastity, and innocence. White lily bouquets are especially popular in Christian homes during the Easter holiday, for they symbolize Christ's resurrection. Lilies are said to bring abundance and prosperity.

History and Lore about the Lily

The lily was brought to France during the Crusades. Lilies have been cultivated longer than any other ornamental flower - for over 3,000 years. Lilies are depited on Egyptian hyroglyphics and Minoan pottery. According to Greek legend, lilies were a symbol of tenderness.

Legend tells that the lily sprang from Eve's tears, when upon being expelled from Eden she learned she was pregnant. Other folklore tells of lilies, unplanted by any human hand spontaneously appearing on the graves of people executed for crimes they did not commit. Some believe that planting lilies in a garden will protect the garden from ghosts and evil spirits.

Interesting Facts about the Lily

In China, the day lily is the emblem for motherhood. To dream of lilies in spring foretells marriage, happiness and prosperity; to dream of them in winter indicates frustration of hopes, and the premature death of a loved one. The Romans were said to cure corns with the juice from lily bulbs. In ancient Greek and Roman marriage ceremonies, lilies, symbols of purity and innocence, along with wheat, the symbol of fertility, were placed on the bride's crown. Long ago, Spaniards believed that eating a lily's petals would restore someone who had been transformed into a beast back into human form. In medieval times, lilies symbolized feminine sexuality.