Flowers speak a universal language, of tender emotions, of feelings that words often fail to express. And, this is why flowers are preferred by many of us to express love, appreciation, gratitude, condolence, sympathy, and so on. Flowers are appropriate on all occasions, across boundaries. Although cultural diversity may dictate variations in flower gifting etiquettes in different countries, the underlying intention of conveying heartfelt warmth and generosity remains the same.
Australia, home to warm, spirited, and friendly people who finds every reason to celebrate life, has a living tradition of gifting flowers. Although conventionally, the majority of flowers in the gifting industry were imported, of late, native flowers of Australia are also gaining popularity immensely. Whether you pick up a bunch of imported roses, lily, or gerbera, or opt for the home-grown golden wattle, waratah, or banksia, it is your thoughts that will be appreciated, and not the dollars you spent on them.
Although you can seldom go wrong with flowers, it is best to be aware of the occasion and local customs before choosing the appropriate blooms suitable, to avoid raised eyebrows or hurt feelings. So here is a guide for you to understand the flower-gifting etiquettes in Australia so that you are on point every time you gift flowers to someone.
Popular flowers in gifting and their meanings
In Australia, you can gift red, pink, and white roses to express love, friendship, and affection, respectively. But each flower variety has distinctive meanings, which define its suitability as gifts for different relations and occasions.
- Affirm your friendship, loyalty, and admiration with carnations
- Spread the message of hope, peace, and serenity with gerberas
- White lilies stand for purity, peace, and love, while the Peruvian variety symbolizes prosperity, wealth, and good fortune
- Amaryllis or the Easter lily signifies beauty and inspiration
- Lavender stands for elegance and grace
- Gift aster, iris, or daisy to appreciate or praise someone
Your options for gifting flowers abound, hence choose wisely, considering the occasion and also your interpersonal relationship with the person you are giving to.
Special occasions to gift flowers
Australia celebrates a melange of occasions appropriate for flower-gifting. The more popular ones are Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. You can also celebrate the women in your life, or your Dad and Mom, on Women’s Day, Father’s Day, and Mother’s Day, respectively, with flowers.
These designated days apart, there isn’t a single day on the calendar that does not brighten up with the simple gift of flowers. You can resort to flowers to even say “miss you” to a loved one who stays afar, send “get well” wishes to someone recovering from illness, or apologize for an argument you had.
Flowers can also help celebrate milestones like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduation, etc. Another occasion when gifting flowers is customary is someone’s passing away.
Choosing the right flowers for each occasion
Choosing the right blooms every time can feel like a task, but you need to tread a little carefully here so as not to send out wrong messages. For example, a dozen luscious red roses for your beau may be appropriate, but giving the same to a casual acquaintance may trigger an undesired chain of reactions. While colours of bright hues go well with the happy vibes of birthdays and anniversaries, however, sombre occasions such as funerals warrant subdued arrangements of blooms in whites or other light shades.
Flowers in bereavement
The loss of a loved one causes inexplicable pain that no amount of condolences can elevate. But giving flowers on such occasions does help convey the message to the bereaved family that they are in your thoughts and prayers, besides serving the purpose of remembering the deceased soul. You may choose to send funeral flower arrangements or wreaths directly to the funeral home or order sympathy flowers for delivery even if you are far away and cannot be with the family in person. Roses, chrysanthemums, gladioli, lilies, hydrangea, orchids, carnations, tulips, and daffodils make good choices for expressing sympathy and remembrance. Do not sweat over the size of the arrangement, as it is your thoughts that will make a difference.
We hope this mini-guide on flower etiquettes helps you the next time you think of gifting flowers.