Why Do We Give Red Roses for Valentine’s Day?情人节为什么送的是红玫瑰？

For people in satisfying and committed relationships， theres Valentines Day， a holiday in which warm feelings are represented by a fresh bouquet of red roses.

But why roses？ And why red？ How did they come to be synonymous with Valentines Day？

“Some stories say that the first red rose was created when the Greek goddess Aphrodite was scratched by a white roses thorn， causing that rose to turn red，” folklorist Sara Cleto said. “Others say that the first red rose grew on the ground where Adonis， Aphrodites lover， died and the goddesss tears fell.”

情人節是那些恋情甜蜜又稳定的情侣的节日。在情人节，新鲜的红玫瑰花束成了爱情的代言者。

但为什么送的是玫瑰，而且一定要是红玫瑰呢？红玫瑰是怎么成为情人节的代名词的呢？

民俗学者萨拉·克莱托说道：“一些传说中讲到，希腊女神阿芙洛狄特被一株白玫瑰的刺划伤了，从而诞生出第一朵红玫瑰。还有一些版本的说法是，第一朵红玫瑰是在阿芙洛狄特的眼泪掉落在她的情人阿多尼斯死去的地方时长出来的。”

Properly dramatic， but the ascent of red roses as a romantic gift really grew in 19th-century England， when the idea of assigning meaning to different varieties of flowers grew. For those wishing to communicate their romantic interest in a potential mate， that meant sending floral bouquets.

Red roses in particular began to have connotations with love because， at the time， red dye was expensive and seen as a luxury. That a red rose provided similar visual appeal made it seem special.

Practically speaking， the idea has endured because unlike other flowers， red roses tolerate transportation pretty well. Theyre a good blend of aesthetics and hardiness， two good traits for flowers that need to be portable as well as striking.

Roses are， of course， expensive， and you can find other ideas that can express your affection without contributing to the floral industry.

传说挺有戏剧性的，但是红玫瑰作为浪漫礼物的传统其实源于19世纪的英格兰，那个年代的人们开始给不同种类的花赋予不同的意义。那时候人们借由送花束向心上人求爱。

在各种鲜花中，红玫瑰和爱情的联系尤为紧密，因为当时红色染料很昂贵，被视为奢侈品。一朵红玫瑰在视觉上给人带来同样的奢侈感，从而显得很特别。

从务实的角度来说，红玫瑰和爱情之间的关联之所以如此持久，是因为与其他鲜花不同，红玫瑰在运输中可以保存得很好。送人的鲜花既要便携又要引人注目，而红玫瑰则美感和坚韧兼具。

当然，玫瑰价格不菲，你可以想想其他点子来表达你的爱，不用非买花不可。

Word Bank

synonymous /s?'n?n?m?s/ adj. 同义的

Wealth is not necessarily synonymous with happiness.

connotation /'k?n?'te??n/ n. 含义；隐含意义

endure /?n'dj??（r）/ v. 持续；持久

Somehow the language endures and continues to survive.