In 1978, Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand recorded a duet
titled, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”. Both artists had previously recorded solo
versions of the song, but recording studios brought them together for the duet,
which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
It’s a nice song. Have a listen:
Neil
Diamond & Barbra Streisand - You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore - YouTube
Have you ever wondered when the custom of giving flowers
started?
I had no idea, so I looked it up, and discovered that it’s a
practice that has been going on for a LONG time.
Evidence
of floral gifts dates back to prehistoric times. Flowers were known to hold
great significance to ancient civilizations from Greece to China. Flowers were
common in storytelling and mythology. Soon after this emergence, these floral
gifts were used to convey messages. During the Middle Ages, Turkey created
a system that assigned specific meanings to each type of flower. This quickly
gained traction in Western Europe. By the Victorian era, people were using bouquets
to express their feelings in a time where showing emotion was considered
gauche. Giving flowers became such a complex and meaningful gesture that even
the way you presented your arrangement had a purpose.
Fortunately, the significance of yellow flowers in North America
is not the same as it is in Russia, and my bride has always loved them.
I’m a firm believer in the fact that you don’t need a special occasion
to give flowers to your favorite female. By all means, buy some on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s
Day and her birthday, but feel free to bring some home “just because”.
A few years ago, I ordered a bouquet of roses from flowers.com
for Mother’s Day. They arrived on time, and came in a nice glass vase. All told,
it cost me about $60, definitely money well spent, except for one thing.
Baby’s breath.
Baby’s breath flowers are a common addition to rose bouquets,
but they are highly attractive to cats. If eaten in large quantity, though, they
can be toxic.
After our cat started chewing on them, I did some research and
discovered that they needed to be tossed as soon as possible. Obviously,
though, we still kept the roses.
That’s not the only reason we have been married for 50 years, but is likely a contributing factor.
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