Lilies. The lily is the flower most commonly associated with funeral services as they symbolize the innocence that has been restored to the soul of the departed. The white lily expresses majesty and purity, where as white stargazer lilies specifically symbolize sympathy.
To ensure the graves were left alone, people planted the poisonous red spider lilies over buried bodies to deter animals. Graves and death were soon associated with the red spider lily, earning it the name of 'death flower' and the even darker, 'corpse flower'.
Popular at both weddings and funerals, white lilies are believed to represent rebirth and purity. For weddings, it's about celebrating a new chapter and for funerals celebrating a loved one moving onto the next place.
Chrysanthemums
In the United States, mums symbolize truth. However, in much of Europe and in many Asian cultures, white chrysanthemums are generally used only at funerals and signify death, mourning, and grief.
Since the times of ancient Greeks and Romans, lilies have been associated with purity and innocence. It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that the lily is the flower most commonly associated with funeral services, as they have come to represent the soul of the deceased returning to a place of peace.
The rose is perhaps the most well-known flower associated with death, and lilies are also commonly used in funeral arrangements. In many cultures, chrysanthemums represent grief and sorrow, and carnations are often given to mourners at funerals. Red poppies are also associated with death, as are marigolds.
It's hard to fathom after seeing the beauty these blooms bring. But many consider lilies to be “funeral flowers”, and thus believe having them in your home is a bad omen.
Each different variety of lily holds a different meaning. But the most common meaning is purity and fertility. The sweet and innocent beauty of the lily flower has given it the association of fresh life and rebirth.
Hyacinth: The purple hyacinth is a popular symbol of sorrow and regret. For a funeral setting, this expression is certainly appropriate. Sometimes, a simple acknowledgement of the family's grief is enough.
Pink and white orchids are the most common choice for sympathy flowers as they symbolize innocence, remembrance and memories.
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Lilies most commonly mean devotion or purity, though meaning can vary by type of lily, culture, and color. Because of the Greek myth of Hera and Zeus, lilies are associated with rebirth and motherhood. In China, lilies are used in weddings because they are tied to 100 years of love. They are also tied to good luck.
Japanese lily
For example, white lilies represent purity, orange lilies show revenge or hatred, and a red spider lily (manjushage) symbolizes a final goodbye.
In some cases, the lily of the valley can symbolize sadness or pain due to a loss or death—which is why you may see these blooms often featured in funeral arrangements.
Chrysanthemums are widely noted to be a flower symbolic of death.
The chrysanthemum, or mum, makes a wonderful choice when mourning with a family that has ties to Europe or Asia. China, Korea and Japan use white chrysanthemums to symbolize grief.
White and yellow chrysanthemums are widely used to say goodbye, particularly in Asia.
Lilies. Lilies are one of the most common funeral flowers. They are very aromatic and the smell often reminds people of special events like Easter, Mother's Day or a loved one's funeral service. The white lily stands for peace, purity and sympathy.
In Greek mythology, the Lily was the flower of Hera, wife of Zeus. The legends have it that the lily was formed from the milk of her breast. However, in Roman mythology, Venus, the Goddess of beauty was so jealous of the flower's white loveliness that she caused the pistil to grow from its center.
White lilies are often associated with funerals and represent sadness because they are commonly used in floral arrangements for memorial services. These flowers have a delicate, elegant beauty that conveys a sense of mourning and loss.
It is unlucky to have an even number of flowers in a bouquet, this is associated with wreathes and death. In Victorian flower language, a white lily meant purity and gave the message "It's heavenly to be with you", whilst an orange lily represented hatred.
Peonies. It's no surprise that Peonies, with their full, delicate, and bountiful blooms, symbolize luck, prosperity, love, and good fortune! They also are in peak season at the moment.
White flower symbolise death and mourning in Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea and should never be sent to people who are ill or for weddings. At best it would cause confusion or mild amusement due to its inappropriateness but at worst it could cause real offence or disgust.
The name “peace lily” came about because the white flowers look like white flags of peace—though they aren't actually lilies. Instead, they're tropical perennials, meaning when you practice good peace lily care, these plants can live for years and flower over and over again.
In Chinese, the name of white lily is called “baihe”, which represents both unity of spirits and 100 years of love. Therefore, Lilies are customary gifts for weddings or even close friends for their symbolic meanings.