It’s December, and, as with the changing of all months, comes a new birthstone, and a new birth flower! December’s lovely birth flower is the wonderful narcissus, which has a long and interesting history. Let’s dig up some facts about the narcissus flower!
Firstly, let’s discuss the differences between a narcissus flower and a daffodil bloom. The easiest explanation is that daffodils are a part of the genus Narcissus. This means that while a daffodil always considered a narcissus, narcissus flowers are not all daffodils. Instead, they can also be jonquils.
Narcissus flowers come from bulbs, and typically bloom in late winter and early spring. Then why is it December’s birth flower?
Although this genus does typically bloom in late winter and early spring, there are a few species, including the paperwhite narcissus, that do bloom in the winter – making it a perfect flower for December!
The Romans brought narcissus to the UK in around 300 BC because they believed that its sap had healing powers. In reality, the sap actually causes skin irritation.
But where does the flower get its name?
The narcissus flower’s name derives from the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was an incredibly handsome young man whom a nymph named Echo fell in love with. When he rejected her, Echo drew the man to a stream, where he became so entranced with his own reflection that he fell in love with it and couldn’t look away. He died by becoming so exhausted after looking at his own reflection for so long that he fell into the stream and drowned. Because of this, narcissus flowers are said to grow on the banks of water, in the same place that Narcissus was in before he drowned. The flowers also bend their necks towards the ground, in the same way that the young man was bent over his reflection, unable to look away from such beauty.
Narcissus flowers typically represent wealth, especially in Wales and China, and they are also a symbol of hope and joy. In contrast, in medieval times, they were said to represent an omen of death if they drooped. Giving a single one of these flowers can cause misfortune, so make sure you always send a bouquet!
Narcissus flowers are also given to celebrate 10 years of marriage, because they symbolise joy, cheerfulness and happiness.
To summarize, narcissus flowers have a long history that is full of different cultural references! So if you know anyone born in December, why not send them a bouquet? Of course, we know now that sending a single one is considered bad fortune!
