Why carnations are given on May 9

May 9 is approaching - the most solemn, sincere and touching holiday. This day we really meet "with tears in our eyes". After all, veterans - people to whom we owe the Great Victory, peace and life - are becoming fewer every year. In 2022, there will be 387 of them left in Kazakhstan.

The more we want to express our gratitude, love and pride in their exploits. And for this purpose we used to give carnations on Victory Day. We lay them at the Eternal Flame and other memorials as a tribute to the memory of the fallen. But how many people know why these flowers became a sign of courage and heroism of soldiers? Does this beautiful tradition have a history? We tell you.

Why is the red carnation a symbol of victory?

This interpretation does not seem strange to us: everyone is used to seeing red carnations in the hands of veterans, at monuments and on postcards for Victory Day. But in the Middle Ages (and even today in the Western Christian tradition) this flower was considered a symbol of betrothal, maternal love of the Virgin Mary to her son Jesus and the sacrificial blood of Christ. That is, there was nothing heroic or warlike about it.

The fragile plant took on a new meaning in France, where after the victory of the French Revolution it was chosen as a symbol by the defeated royalists. They took the scarlet buds with them on their way to the scaffold, emphasizing their sacrifice and courage.

On the contrary, girls from the common people considered this flower as an amulet in battle. They gave it to their fiancés and husbands going to war with wishes to win and return alive. Every French soldier kept such a gift as a talisman. In the power of the amulet believed even Napoleon Bonaparte. Establishing the Order of the Legion of Honor, he chose the color of the red carnation for the order ribbon.

The revolutionaries in Russia also liked this emblem. After 1917, the carnation became an indispensable attribute of all Soviet celebrations, awards, badges and postcards.

Its significance as a symbol of struggle and courage became much stronger during the Great Patriotic War. Of course, heroes were greeted at home with whatever colors were at hand. But over time, giving red carnations to veterans became an unchanging tradition.

How many carnations to give on May 9

At a festive procession, honoring veterans at school or other institutions usually give 3-5 flowers. If you want to make the gift more personal, to give a bouquet from yourself or your family, it is better to buy 7-9 carnations.

Complex bouquets with lush decorations on such a day, and in general for the elderly, are inappropriate.

A bunch of flowers can be laid at the memorial in memory of fallen heroes. But it is better to choose a neat basket - it is more beautiful and durable.

How else do you congratulate veterans

As for our veterans, they do not need luxurious compositions of dozens of flowers. It is much more important to show care and attention. Visit familiar or unfamiliar war veterans together with your children, offer help, listen to their stories. Let your attention and care be not symbolic, but quite tangible and real.

Carnations for May 9 are just a way of saying that we remember their exploits and the courage they showed, the blood spilled by their comrades who are no longer with us.