A ROSE is a flowering shrub of the genus Rosa, and the flower of this shrub. ROSES are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. Roses are so important that the word means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).
According to the Victorian "Language of flowers", different coloured roses each have their own symbolic meaning:
* Red: love
* Pink: grace, gentle feelings of love
* Dark Pink: gratitude
* Light Pink: admiration, sympathy
* White: innocence, purity, secrecy, friendship, reverence and humility.
* Yellow: Yellow roses generally mean dying love or platonic love. In German-speaking countries, however, they can mean jealousy and infidelity.
* Yellow with red tips: Friendship, falling in love
* Orange: passion
* Burgundy: beauty
* Blue: mystery or attaining the impossible. They are believed to be able to grant the owner youth or grant wishes.
* Green: calm
* Black: slavish devotion (as a true black rose is impossible to produce)
* Purple: protection (paternal/maternal love)
