Yellow Roses: History, Meaning, and Symbolism
Yellow roses of all kinds have long been popular because of their bright, cheerful color. This holds yellow sunflowers, yellow roses, yellow hydrangeas, yellow daisies, and yellow flower arrangements.
Deep yellow hues can also be interpreted as gold - so if someone were to make a remarkable achievement - such as a promotion at work or winning an important contest, yellow rose flower arrangements would be an excellent way to extend your good wishes.
The Meaning of giving Yellow Roses
In this way, yellow rose arrangements can be a beautiful way to congratulate a couple on a new baby. Likewise, real estate agents might choose to say “welcome to the neighborhood” with yellow rose floral arrangements for their clients. A person may even feel confident in the gift of one yellow rose, meaning that they wish to extend friendship or brighten up another person’s day.
Yellow Roses in Western and Eastern Cultures
In Japan, yellow roses’ meaning goes a bit beyond happiness and cheer to mean courage or inner strength. So, you might consider giving one yellow rose, meaning you’re in support of that person as they face a challenge or difficulty.
Also, Yellow ribbons, in general, have, for many decades, been a symbolic gesture of family and loved ones waiting for a family member in the armed forces to return home. In this case, the meaning behind yellow roses can come to mean, “I’m thinking of you and your family, and I hope your loved one returns home soon.”
Yellow Roses From a Symbol of Jealousy to a Symbol of Freedom
Interestingly, yellow roses' almost-universal meaning is a sharp contrast from the definition of yellow roses in the language of flowers from Victorian times. In this era, yellow rose arrangements were not associated with positive feelings but rather with jealousy, the end of a relationship, or even infidelity. Most believe this is because yellow roses of that time period typically lacked the signature fragrance of roses - a trait that, if personified, would mean yellow roses were jealous of their more lovely scented counterparts of other colors. Fortunately, warmth and positivity won out, and today yellow roses’ meaning is almost consistently a happy one.
In fact, the popularity of yellow roses and yellow flower arrangements has even come to take on interesting new meanings in modern times. The country-western song about “the yellow rose of Texas” makes yellow rose arrangement centerpieces popular at Texas weddings and celebrations. What was once associated in Victorian times with the unfortunate end of a relationship is that yellow roses’ meaning can now symbolize freedom and a new beginning after a relationship that may have been “less than joyous.”
