Rose (symbolism)

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The rose symbolizes various things, depending on the context:

the Republic of Georgia's non-violent bid for freedom during its Rose Revolution;
the red rose of Lancaster, and the white rose of York, from the Wars of the Roses period;
the Rose-Cross is a symbol for the Rosicrucian;
the rose in The Dark Tower has symbolic meaning in that series of Stephen King novels.
In some pagan mythologies, no undead or ghostly creatures (particularly vampires) may cross the path of a wild rose. It was thought that to place a wild rose on a coffin of a recently deceased person would prevent them from rising again.
Since the earliest times, the rose has been an emblem of silence:
- In Greek Mythology, Eros presents a rose to the god of silence.
- In a Celtic folk legend, a wandering, screaming spirit was silenced by presenting the spirit with a wild rose every new moon.
Roses were used in very early times as a very potent ingredient in love philters.
In Rome it was often customary to bless roses on "Rose Sunday".
In Scotland, if a white rose bloomed in autumn it was a token of an early marriage.
The red rose, it is believed by many religions, cannot grow over a grave.
According to some Biblical legends, the original rose growing in the Garden of Eden was white, but turned red as it blushed with shame upon Adam and Eve's fall from grace.
Rose leaves thrown into a burning flame are said to give good luck.
If a maiden had more than one lover, it is believed in one mythology, she should take rose leaves and write the names of her lovers upon them before casting them into the wind. The last leaf to reach the ground would bear the name of the lover whom she should marry.
It is believed that if a rose bush were pruned on St. John's Eve, it would be guaranteed to bloom in the autumn.
The Blue Rose symbolises the unabtainable.