| Roses and their various colours play a part in the | | | | appreciation while a light pink rose suggests admiration |
| celebration of Christmas with the blooming of the | | | | or sympathy. White Roses equate to innocence, purity |
| "Christmas Rose". That title covers a variety of plants, | | | | and humility. Yellow Roses reflect joy and gladness, |
| but they all are steeped in the legend that speaks of a | | | | orange roses are said to embody enthusiasm and |
| young girl named Madelon who wanted to worship the | | | | joviality, while red, yellow and pale blends are the rose |
| infant Christ. | | | | of gaiety, joviality and friendship. |
| She had no gold, frankincense and myrrh so she | | | | No one is entirely sure what the Blue rose signifies! |
| searched for a flower as a gift. But in the cold and | | | | That could be because genuine blue roses just do not |
| harsh winter, no flowers were growing at all. As she | | | | exist- at least not yet. You can get them by cutting |
| stood weeping, an angel saw her sorrow and there, | | | | specially selected immature white roses from the plant |
| where her tears had fallen, sprang up a cluster of | | | | and cultivating them in a blue dye solution so that the |
| beautiful winter roses, waxen white (innocence and | | | | colour can grow into the petals as well as the leaves |
| purity) with pink (admiration and worship) tipped petals. | | | | and stems. This produces a very deep and impossibly |
| In truth, it's not just Christmas or Christianity that | | | | blue rose, but a bunch of Australian and Japanese |
| incorporates the rose into mythology. Roses have | | | | Scientists working at the CSIRO may have discovered |
| always been an essential part of many ceremonies | | | | the genetically modified route to the genuine blue rose |
| and festivities and their particular colour has held deep | | | | article! |
| meaning for almost every society over many | | | | What about the Black rose? It doesn't exist in nature, |
| thousands of years. | | | | but could probably be achieved by the same route as |
| The early Greeks believed that flecks of seafoam | | | | the Blue Rose. If it's associated with anything, then it |
| dripping from the body of Aphrodite at her birth turned | | | | could be death or sorrow. But according to Aretha |
| into white roses - representing purity and innocence. | | | | Louise Franklin it does exist. There is a rose in Spanish |
| When she tried to comfort her wounded lover Adonis, | | | | Harlem, a rose in Black in Spanish Harlem. It is a special |
| she shed a few drops of blood onto a white rose and | | | | one, it's never seen the sun. It only comes out when |
| it became red - representing desire and passion. The | | | | the moon is on the run and all the stars are gleaming. |
| colour of roses has always has great cultural | | | | It's growing in the street right up through the concrete, |
| significance and resonant mythological meaning. | | | | soft and sweet and dreamin'. The Queen of Soul can't |
| Red Roses generally stand for love, desire and | | | | be wrong. The Black rose is optimism and |
| passion. Deep pink roses imply gratitude and | | | | determination personified. |