Oct. 7 designates “National Flower Day.” Not to be confused with the holiday celebrated on March 21, today specifically focuses on the U.S. national flower, the rose.
This day marks the signing of Senate Joint Resolution 159, which adopted the rose as the national floral emblem. President Ronald Reagan approved the proclamation in 1986, certifying the rose as our national flower.
Often viewed as a symbol of love and beauty, roses are commonly used in parades, placed on graves of loved ones and are frequently referred to in art and literature. States such as New York, Oklahoma, Georgia and North Dakota also adopted some variation of the rose as their state flower. Our nation’s first president George Washington bred roses, and the White House has its own rose garden.
Ways to celebrate this little known holiday are plentiful and simple. Take a walk around campus to see if there are any roses and take some time to admire them. For those that have exceptional artistic abilities, take a break from school work and create rose-inspired artwork. You can paint, draw or find other ways to pay homage to the national flower.
Roses provide beautiful photographs, so post on social media about them with the #NationalFlowerDay. Followers will appreciate the pleasing pictures as they scroll through their feed. Roses also make for a calming literature subject. Spend some time unwinding from a busy day of classes and write a poem or some other work of literature remarking on their beauty.
National Flower Day is certainly uncommon but meaningful in its purpose. Take some time today to spend with the rose, a flower with deep significance to the United States.