Few things on the planet are more beautiful or fascinating than flowers—with over 400,000 flowering plant species in the world, there is definitely something every one of us would fall in love with. Flowers have served numerous purposes over the millennia, from decoration purposes to medicinal ones, as well as many, many more.
In 17th century Holland, a house could be purchased for tulips, and flowers have also been an integral part of various religions and mythologies and their traditions and rituals. Could you even imagine a wedding reception without the bouquet toss?
Would there be any Christmas without poinsettias? What would poets and painters do without the flowers that have inspired them to create countless works of art? From the simple daisy to the elegant rose, and from the colorful wildflowers dotting hillsides to the elaborate and vibrant flowers of southeastern Asia, flowers have more than deserved their own day though for their contributions to art, culture, and life.
History of Plant a Flower Day
Flowers have likely been around for nearly as long as the planet itself, with new and fascinating species springing up all over the place of the last few billion years, give or take. Flower arrangements, however, or the art of using flowers as a decoration, date back to Ancient Egyptian times. As early as 2,500 BC, Egyptians were using flowers to adorn tables and great halls, as well as show respect to both the living and the dead.
Different flowers also carried different symbolic meanings—lotus flowers and water lilies, for example, were believed to be among the goddess’ favorites, and many different kinds of flowers were also uncovered in tombs of pharaohs, high priests and other wealthy citizens. Later, both the Ancient Greeks and Romans continued to use flowers for these same purposes and also began to use some of them as herbs.
In China, flower arrangements became popular in the 3rd century BC, where they play important roles in religious practices and traditional medicine.
How to celebrate Plant a Flower Day
The best way to celebrate Plant a Flower Day is to plant a flower, or perhaps even many flowers! Depending on where you’re located in the world, March may or may not be the best time to be planting anything, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a flowerpot and do it at home.
So if it is nice and warm in March where you live, set a little bit of time aside on this holiday to sow some seeds in your yard or garden. This could also serve as the perfect time to take your children outside and explain a bit about how nature works its magic, what helps plants grow, why we need them, and what we can do to help protect our planet from pollution.
Instilling a sense of wonder for the world in your children will help them appreciate the planet and make them more aware of their surroundings—plus, what could be more fun than spending a sunny day outside with your favorite little people and planting lupins, poppies or fuchsias?
And even if your part of the world is cold and dreary this time of year, you can still enjoy a day of learning about nature and all it has to offer humankind. Like flowers themselves, Plant a Flower Day was meant to be enjoyed.
