A deep dive into Korean culture: The beautiful language of flowers and what they signify

What precious memories are complete without a mention to floral delights?

By Pinkvilla Desk

Published on May 17, 2021 | 07:05 PM IST | 2.5M

A still image from The King: Eternal Monarch, courtesy of Netflix

The Korean culture is one that is highly regimented and traditional. This makes gifting flowers in Korea a delicate and often tricky subject. So it is not uncommon to see K-Drama characters often asking the florist to help them select flowers with the most appropriate meaning.

Popular Flowers

Roses are considered exotic and beautiful and used to express feelings of love and passion. Lilies are considered to be sacred, pure and used in both marriage and funerary rites. Gerberas are thought to be playful and are great tokens of friendship. Daisies are great for expressing familial and filial feelings. Alstroemerias are flowers of kindness, gratitude, and humility. Tulips are exotic and used in gifting on special occasions and as gifts to important people. Orchids symbolize raw passion and sensuality.

When to give flowers?

In general, you could give flowers to someone any day. Koreans, too, love gifting flowers. But their rather traditional approach to ceremonies means there are subtle nuances that you should be aware of.

Valentine's Day

Most of Korea’s population is young and western oriented. Holidays like Valentine's Day are a big deal. Red Roses are the choice of flowers for a single flower arrangement. Looking to break away from the standard? Add pristine White Lilies to the arrangement for a lovely melange.

Chopail

It is the festival that commemorates the birthday of Lord Buddha. This day remembers the bonds of spirituality and holiness and is celebrated with a lot of devotion. You can’t go wrong with White Roses, White Lilies and Daisies to mark the solemnity. Since white flowers are the norm during traditional and holy festivals, it is best to refrain from multicolored arrangements.

Easter

Korea is one of the few Asian nations to have a significant Christian population. Easter is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor. Flowers are widely offered as both centerpieces and gifts. Roses and Lilies are wildly popular. Daisies and Alstroemerias are also very apt for the occasion.

Mothers' Day

Korean culture is deeply rooted in family values. Mothers' Day is important and Koreans go out of their way to make the holiday special for their eomma. The floral arrangements traditionally offered on this day include Pink Roses and Lilies. These are both symbols of familial love and affection and make really thoughtful gifts.

Christmas

At the end of a busy year, it is the one day when otherwise busy family members come together in rejoicing and celebration. Christmas is, therefore, more of a family occasion that is treasured and honored with great fervor and gusto. Unlike most other countries, however, the Red Rose is one of the most sought-after flowers for the festival. White flowers would also make a great contrast. So White Irises, Carnations and Lilies are a great complement to the Red Rose Centerpieces.

Birthdays

Based on your relation and proximity to the person celebrating the birthday, you need to wisely choose the flowers. A single flower arrangement of Red or Pink Roses symbolizes feelings of love and would be perfect for a significant other. For a friend or work colleague, a conservative arrangement of Daisies, White Roses, and Gerberas is your best bet. A hand-tied floral arrangement is an artisanal take on the traditional bouquet.

Wedding

There are a few things you need to remember when gifting flowers, so that your gift isn’t misinterpreted, leaving you feeling sheepish. Red and white are more than just the colors of love and purity, in Korea, they are also considered auspicious colors. So gifting Red Roses, White Daisies, Chrysanthemums, Lilies and other white flowers is the way to go. Flowers symbolizing love like Roses and Lilies are indispensable to a wedding bouquet. Look out for S-shaped arrangements or a high vertical arrangement.

Flowers play a deep symbolic role in the celebrations and lives of everyday Koreans and as such must be selected with care and sensitivity. But that wouldn't be a problem now, would it?