What do flowers and ribbons mean in a Ukrainian wreath (3 photos)

A wreath woven from flowers and herbs, decorated with bright ribbons, is one of the oldest Ukrainian symbols. One wreath could have up to 12 different flowers.

Each flower or blade of grass meant: rose - love; white lily is a symbol of purity and innocence; cornflower - simplicity and modesty; squeal - independence; field call - gratitude; laurel - success, glory; mallow - beauty, coldness; peony - longevity; chamomile - peace, tenderness; immortelle - health; viburnum is a symbol of girlish beauty, a symbol of Ukraine.

The wreath was necessarily decorated with ribbons of different colors. The ribbons were measured along the length of the braid and cut below the braid to hide it. In the very center they knitted a light brown one - a symbol of the earth, on both sides of which there were yellow ones - a symbol of the sun; behind them are light green and dark green - beauty and youth; blue and blue - sky and water, give strength and health.

Next came orange - a symbol of bread, purple - wisdom, crimson - sincerity and sincerity, pink - abundance. White was woven only when its ends were embroidered with silver and gold (on the left - the sun, on the right - the month). The non-embroidered ribbon is not tied; it was a symbol of memory of the dead. The girls wove a poppy into the wreath and tied a red ribbon to it - a symbol of sadness and magic.

The orphan wove blue ribbons into her braid and wreath. And when people met, they gave such a girl gifts, bread, money, and wished her to become happy and rich. The girl, in gratitude, gave those people a ribbon from the wreath.

In Ukraine, wreaths had solar symbolism. The girl in the wreath was associated with the rising sun. Also, the corolla is a symbol of glory, victory, holiness, success, power, peace, sun, power. And the aureole also meant chastity and maiden youth.