How Many Roses to Give: What 1 to 150 Roses Mean
What 3, 12, 41, 100 or 150 roses say, where the usual lists contradict each other, and the numbers that carry their own meaning in Turkey, such as 41 roses for a marriage request.
Lilies Mean Both Grief and Celebration, Here's How to Tell Them Apart
The same flower that reads as a funeral tribute in white also reads as a joyful gift in colour. The difference is entirely in the variety and shade.
Lilies carry an unusual double meaning that trips people up more than any other flower we arrange. White lilies, specifically, are strongly associated with sympathy and funerals across most of Europe, they're the default flower for a memorial arrangement. But lilies in other colours, and other varieties entirely, carry almost the opposite meaning, celebration, motherhood, renewal. Sending the wrong one to the wrong occasion is an easy, well-intentioned mistake.
Lilies for someone in Istanbul, for a celebration or a loss, can be ordered through our same-day flower delivery in Istanbul page.
Why white lilies specifically mean sympathy
The association is old and specific to white, particularly the white Easter lily and the Madonna lily, tied through centuries of church and funeral use to purity and the soul's restored innocence after death. This is strong enough in most of Europe that a bouquet of white lilies sent for a birthday or anniversary can land oddly, the recipient may not consciously place why, but the funeral association lingers under the surface.
From the shop
What coloured lilies mean instead
Orange and yellow lilies carry almost the opposite charge, warmth, confidence, celebration, they're a genuinely good choice for a birthday or a congratulations arrangement. Pink lilies (particularly the Stargazer variety) are associated with admiration and ambition, a strong choice for a graduation or a promotion. The flower is the same species in most cases, the meaning shifts entirely with the colour.
The safe rule
If the occasion is a loss, white lilies, ideally mixed with white roses or chrysanthemums, are appropriate and expected. For nearly everything else, a birthday, a new job, a thank-you, choose lilies in any colour except white, or ask your florist to keep white lilies out of the mix entirely if you're not certain.
We stock lilies for both purposes separately, sympathy-appropriate white arrangements and celebratory coloured ones, so the wrong one never ends up in the wrong box.
Arrangements that suit this article
Frequently asked
Do white lilies always mean sympathy?
Across most of Europe, yes. They're strongly tied to funerals and memorials, sending them for a birthday can land oddly even if the recipient can't say exactly why.
What do coloured lilies mean?
Orange and yellow read as warmth and celebration. Pink, especially the Stargazer variety, reads as admiration and ambition, good for a graduation or promotion.
What's the safe rule?
White for a loss, any other colour for nearly everything else. Ask your florist to keep white out of the mix if you're not certain.
More from the journal
Rose Colours and What They Mean, Including the One That Reads Differently in Turkey
Red roses mean the same thing almost everywhere. The other colours do not, and one of them carries a meaning in Turkey that most senders abroad have never heard.
What Sunflowers Really Mean, and Why They Make an Easy Gift to Get Right
Sunflowers carry none of the romantic weight roses do, which is exactly what makes them one of the easiest flowers to send well. Here is what they signal.