Hanakotoba : The mystic language of flowers

We all know that flowers have meanings - red roses are for lovers on Valentine’s Day, daisies represent innocence, and for Christmas red poinsettas is a must. It’s a lesser-known fact that the ancient Japanese took this symbolism and hidden meaning and elevated it to the highest point, developing a great art - this of “hanakotoba” the secret and mystic language of flowers.  

They say that love is strongest when it’s unspoken – conveyed through grand gestures or subtle acts of appreciation. The Japanese excel in the art of navigating these coded communications, which found their greatest form of expression in the ancient art of hanakotoba.

Using cues such as colour, height and general appearance, this language could be used to transmit messages as wide-ranging as purity, love, deep passion, appreciation or even hatred. . A person shows his intentions by sending a bouquet of gardenias, which symbolizes secret love, plum blossoms that shows elegance and loyalty and yellow camellias for longing. They’d pray for a response of white poppies - rejoicing - or red roses - in love - but fear that the outcome could be a tulip (meaning one-sided love) or an orange lily (hatred).

Hanakotoba stems from the Buddhist ideal that pays attention to the smallest of things. The flowers’ fragility and evanescence means that it should be cherished all the more for its’ ephemerality. If we combine it with ikebana which is the the traditional practice of flower arranging, flowers and the messages they convey are celebrated and elevated to their highest form.

Some commonly used flowers and their meanings:

White Lotus

The most religious flower symbol of Japan and China is the lotus. It’s closely related to Buddha and stands for an emblem of truth, perfection, and immortality. It’s a special symbol of purity, because it rises white and beautiful from the mud. It’s also used to show the past, the present, and the future, because the seed pods, open flowers, and buds are found in the plant at the same time. This sacred flower stands also for spiritual awareness.

Cherry blossoms

The blossoms of early flowering trees have a special place in Oriental cultures. The peach blooms in spring, the season of many marriages, thus it symbolises matrimony. The plum blossoms represent perseverance, female virtue and tenderness. But the most important flowering tree in Japan is the cherry - known as Sakura. It’s a symbol of everything in life that is considered as high-minded and honourable. Cherry blossoms are also closely related to samurai warriors, who didn’t make plans for the future but constantly tried to improve themselves. The cherry tree flowers depict how fast life can pass by. They bloom magnificently but fall to the ground in a short while.

Chrysantheum

The symbol of the Emperor and the Japanese imperial family, the chrysanthemum is said to be the noblest of flowers. Be careful  of which colour you send, though – yellow chrysanthemums are for royalty, red symbolises love, while white means purity and grief and is most commonly found at funerals.

Camellia

This is a flower with layers of meaning. Red camellias ( tsubaki ) otherwise mean “persisting with grace” and you can use them to show you are in love. Yellow camellias are a symbol of longing and white camellias symbolise waiting.

Rose

When you see a rose you associate it with love, but it actually depends on its colour. The white rose is a symbol of devotion, innocence, silence, and the red one means love. The pink rose stands for confidence, trust and happiness, while the yellow says you are jealous or feeling pangs.

Violet

The violet has come to be known as a symbol of honesty, hard work and sincerity. Often thought to have its name taken from the ink of the hard-working carpenter, this flower only seeks to tell the truth. In giving the gift of a sumire to another, the message is clear: only the best of intentions are meant, and with the hope that honesty will be shown in return. 

Orange Lily

In contrast with the serenity evoked by the lotus blossom, the orange lily communicates a different message entirely. Often used to demonstrate the lighter sides of life, the yuri is a flower that serves as a messenger for fun times to be shared, and moments of splendor. In overabundance, this message can quickly turn into one of haste and overeagerness, so the caution behind this overall positive message is to enjoy life, without being too hasty.