Wear Flowers in Your Hair

Girl who is wearing a flower in her hair — Photo: Pressmaster/Shutterstock

All around the world, women wear flowers in their hair. It is the oldest and most natural form of adornment. With their scent and delicate beauty, flowers can transform simple hairstyles into charming and even breathtaking creations. But they are not only beautiful, they also convey messages.

The language of flowers goes back thousands of years. Each culture had its own meanings attached to the tender plants. In Europe, the art of wearing flowers became very popular during the time of Queen Victoria in the late 1800s. Then each flower had a meaning expressed by the way it was held, given, or placed in a vase. Everything was coded, down to the color of the vase.

Some decades later, the flower children of the 1960s rediscovered flowers to show their connection to nature, as a symbol for love, innocence, and divine beauty.

Today, flowers are still worn for weddings and for traditional spring and harvest celebrations all around the world. Men wear roses or carnations in their lapels on festive events, and what would a prom night be without a flower corsage around the wrist?

In the islands of the South Pacific, a single flower behind the right ear suggests that the woman is still single. If the flower is behind the left ear, suitors beware - a jealous husband or boyfriend may appear. Plumeria and fragrant gardenias are often the blossoms of choice, but you'll also find hibiscus flowers or the small but heavenly-scented tuberose.

You can find your own secret language! Get creative and don’t limit yourself to what you find in your garden. Check out the local craft store for silk flowers, that look like the real thing, but they never wilt or fade away.

To keep the flowers, real or silk, in place it is best to use bobby pins or hair clips. You can also get creative and hot-glue your favorite artificial blossoms to barrettes or decorative combs.

Have fun!

Some meanings of flowers:

Daisy: innocence and purity

Gardenia: secret love

Camellia: gratitude

Ginger: strength

Tuberose: forbidden pleasures

Hibiscus: delicate beauty, sensitivity

Red rose: passion, love

Pink rose: friendship, admiration, happiness

Apricot-colored rose: desire, admiration, modesty

White rose: purity, secrecy, spiritual love

Jasmine: sensuality

Yellow carnation: disappointment, rejection

Spider flower: "Run away with me."

Violet: modesty, faithfulness