Russian Holidays - Florist Day

Florist Day has been celebrated annually in Russia since 2009 This year the profession was officially registered, and July 24, the date of the celebration, was included in the register of national holidays Making flower arrangements is not so much a craft as a creative process that belongs to the arts and crafts Therefore, every florist is a bit of an artist at heart and even a wizard who brings beauty into our lives Flowers were used to decorate temples on religious occasions by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans Ikebana in Japan appeared in the 15th century as the art of making compositions from branches with buds and shoots, which were placed in special vessels and jugs for offering to the gods Later, this discipline became one of the main ones in the geisha training program With the advent of Christianity, the tradition of giving bouquets on various occasions and without became entrenched in everyday life among Europeans First of all, elegant flower arrangements were given to women as a sign of gratitude, longing, passion and love With the help of plants, communication took place in the harems of the Turkish sultans "Selam" means "greeting" in Persian Each flower that was passed to the concubines' rooms could represent a whole sentence with a wish or an answer to a question asked The same method of communicating with gentlemen was used by young ladies during the time of Pushkin In 1830, the book “Selam, or the language of flowers,” translated from Persian, was published in Russia It paid special attention not only to deciphering the meaning of each plant, but also to the method of presenting bouquets Importance was attached to the presence or absence of thorns on roses, leaves on the stem, vertical or horizontal position of the buds, and even whether the bouquet was in the left or right hand In a prim society, where direct communication between representatives of both sexes was not particularly encouraged, there was not only the language of flowers, but also flies and fans In the era of Queen Victoria, elegant Tussie-Mussies were very popular - small bouquets wrapped in a lace napkin, inserted into a vase or tied with a satin ribbon They were an encrypted message Unraveling such messages was a popular pastime in the salons of high society Do you remember the children's game with the little counting rhyme: “I was born a gardener, and I got really angry I’m tired of all the flowers, except…”? Its traditions are rooted in the distant past In the 19th century, visitors to European fashion salons enjoyed participating in the “Flirtation of Flowers” The game helped ladies and gentlemen get to know each other and overcome timidity and shyness during communication Each visitor to the hospitable home received 2 cards - called “You and I” and with an image of a certain flower or a phrase on his behalf The players, passing them to each other, communicated in this way, which looked completely innocent to others Thanks to “Flirting Flowers”, dialogues were conducted and subtle hints were made, which could be followed by marriage proposals Today, the creation of floral compositions (panels and collages) is carried out by professionals with a subtle artistic taste, working in salons and studios Fresh and dry flowers are used to arrange bouquets and decorate rooms, creating a special festive atmosphere Some compositions are masterpieces and real works of art, which emphasize the importance of the profession of a florist, whose professional holiday is celebrated annually on July 24