Here comes the bride, complete with her wedding bouquet. But what’s in that bouquet? This month we’re talking about a popular bridal flower (and May’s birth flower), the gorgeous lily of the valley! Let’s unveil the history of the adorable little flower!
In Christianity, the lily of the valley flower represents purity and humility. According to the Bible, when the Virgin Mary wept after Jesus was crucified, lilies of the valley bloomed from her tears. In addition, Eve also wept lilies of the valley after she was expelled from Eden, and after the blood of a French saint was spilled, the flowers also grew wherever his blood fell. They’re quite literally the product of putting your blood, sweat and tears into something!
Despite their reputation as a pure flower, lilies of the valley are actually quite toxic to dogs, cats and humans, so don’t let your child or pet near them. This applies to potentially all parts of the plant, so watch out!
However, even though the plant is toxic, it does have some medicinal properties. In medieval times, the lily of the valley plant was best known for treating heart problems.
As stated in the introduction, the lily of the valley flower is often used in wedding bouquets. The presence of these sweet blooms is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity to the couple who has them at their wedding. It’s actually a favourite for royal brides, including Queen Victoria, Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton!
The lily of the valley is Finland’s national flower and was also the floral symbol for Yugoslavia.
So the next time you or someone else is planning a wedding, why not suggest the lily of the valley for the wedding bouquet?
