Meaning of White Roses: History and Symbolism

White roses are universal flowers that symbolize purity, innocence, loyalty, grace, and so much more. They hold diverse meanings across cultures and history – from representing love in ancient Rome to peace in times of war. They are perfect for many occasions, including weddings, anniversaries, and funerals. 

Their timeless beauty makes them ideal for expressing sentiments. In this article, we will explore the history and symbolism of this versatile flower.

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White Roses Meaning

White roses hold many symbolic meanings that evoke emotions and convey messages. They represent eternity – symbolizing a love that transcends time. Joy and purity are embodied in the petals of white roses, evoking feelings of happiness and innocence. The graceful nature of these flowers reflects elegance and beauty.

White roses also symbolize the various stages of love. They are associated with young love, representing the freshness and excitement of a new romantic connection. At the same time, they signify everlasting love, emphasizing the enduring and timeless nature of true affection. These white roses embody the essence of romance, evoking a sense of passion and devotion.

White roses convey virtues such as eternal loyalty and youthfulness. They symbolize the innocence and loyalty found in pure relationships. The secrecy and silence attributed to white roses add an air of mystery and confidentiality to their meaning.

Beyond matters of the heart, white roses hold significance in other aspects of life. They symbolize a pure and clear path, offering hope and serving as a positive start for new beginnings. They are associated with respect, honor, and farewells, representing a deep reverence for others and bidding farewell with grace.

The symbolism of white roses encompasses a range of emotions, making them a versatile and meaningful choice for expressing sentiments.

Read more on the meaning of each rose color in our dedicated article.

Pure White Roses Meaning

• According to the Victorian language of flowers, Pure white roses represent purity, innocence, “you’re heavenly,” “let’s keep this secret,” “I’m worthy of you,” or “remain silent”.
• A pure white rosebud signifies girlhood.
• A withered pure white rose represents fleeting beauty or “you didn’t make much of an impression on me.” 
• A dried pure white rose means, “I’d rather die than lose my virtue.”

Ivory White Roses Meaning

Ivory white roses express purity, grace, charm, thoughtfulness, richness, and perfection. They show that you care without being romantic.

Cream White Roses Meaning

Cream-white roses signify charm and thoughtfulness. Gifting them to someone is a beautiful way to say you are thinking about them.

White Roses With Colored Tips Meaning

• White roses with red tips mean unity. 
• White roses with pink tips are a symbol of happiness and perfection. 
• White roses with blue tips show purity and appreciation of a person’s uniqueness. 
• White roses with green tips mean renewal, fertility, peace, and celebrating new life or abundance.

Top 10 White Rose Meanings

• Purity
• Innocence
• Loyalty
• Grace
• Silence
• Serenity
• Mourning
• Love
• Peace
• New beginnings

Read more on the top 10 meanings of each rose color in our dedicated article.

White Roses Spiritual Meaning

Spiritually, white roses convey innocence, purity, virginity, and motherly love. White roses signify change, positive growth, unconditional love, and trust. While the change could be death or moving away, it is a gesture of spiritual peace.

The white rose symbolizes the Virgin Mary in Catholic and other Christian images. Her association with the flower has led to her being called the “Mystical Rose of Heaven.” 

In Hinduism, the white rose is important in worshipping Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge.

The holy book of Islam, the Koran, connects the white rose to paradise.

Read more on the spiritual meanings of each rose color in our dedicated article.

History of White Roses

The early Romans connected white roses to the goddess Venus and associated white roses with love. Romans would plant white rose bushes at the graves of young women to represent innocence and purity. They also used the oil extracted from white roses to make perfume.

In 15th-century England, The War of the Roses occurred between two royal families fighting for control of the English throne. The white rose symbolized the House of York, while the red rose symbolized the House of Lancaster. 

In the 18th-century, during the Seven Years’ War, it is said that an English infantry regiment crossed through a rose garden on the way to battle the French in Minden, Germany. They stopped to pluck the roses, stuck them in their caps, and then quickly defeated the French in a surprise attack. After that, English soldiers wore white roses while preparing for battle to inspire gallantry and honor. 

Also during the Seven Years’ War, soldiers from Yorkshire, England, picked white roses and put them in the buttonholes of their fallen comrades. The county of Yorkshire have claimed the white rose as their emblem.

In 1840, Queen Victoria popularized white roses in wedding bouquets when she walked down the aisle with a beautiful bouquet of white roses.

Read more on the history of each rose color in our dedicated article.

White Roses in Myths and Legends

In ancient Greece, the white rose symbolized Aphrodite, the goddess of feminine beauty, love, and sexuality. Aphrodite is also known is called Venus in Roman mythology. 

A Greek myth told how all roses were white until Cupid shot the stems with an arrow, creating thorns. Aphrodite pricked her foot on one, causing her to bleed and turn some roses red. 

In another myth, Aphrodite sprang from the foaming sea at birth, and everywhere that seafoam landed, white rose bushes bloomed.

White Roses Meaning in China

In Hong Kong, white roses represent purity, friendship, and wisdom.

In mainland China, white roses symbolize death, ghosts, and mourning. You are most likely to see white roses at funerals.

White Roses Meaning in Other Cultures

White roses have a variety of meanings in other countries and cultures;

• In France and Italy, they symbolize peace. 
• In Denmark, the Danes see the white rose as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 
• In Russia, the white rose represents the Russian Orthodox Church.
• In America, the white rose is symbolic of the women’s suffrage movement.
  • In Georgia, USA, the wild Cherokee Rose is the state flower. Legend has it that while Native Americans had to walk the Trail of Tears in the 1830s, a white rose sprang up wherever the tears of Cherokee mothers fell.

• In the United Kingdom, white roses mean beauty and purity.
  • In the county of Yorkshire and the City of York, flags with a five-petaled white rose represent their long-time connection to the flower.
• In Japan’s language of flowers, Hanakotoba, white roses stand for devotion, silence, or innocence. White roses are an excellent choice to represent innocence at the birth of a new baby in Japan and to signify commitment for an anniversary.

Read more on the the meaning of each rose color in different cultures in our dedicated article.

White Roses in Art and Literature

French artist Henri Fantin-Latour painted white roses in many of his floral still life oil paintings, some that he picked from his country house garden. Roses were in 100 of the 500 floral still lifes he produced in his career! “Still Life with Roses and Fruit” in 1863 and “Roses and Lilies” in 1888 are two highlights.

American artist Georgia O’Keeffe painted close-ups of a white rose in “White Rose with Larkspur I” and “White Rose with Larkspur II” in 1927. In total, she produced five white roses on canvas in 1927.

American artist Alma Thomas painted “White Roses Sing and Sing” in 1976. It’s abstract with a mosaic-looking pattern that suggests the natural world. 

In Nana Mouskouri’s signature song “The White Rose of Athens”, the white rose signifies the return of spring and the return of her beloved who leaves her to go sailing through the wintertime.

Irish poet John Boyle O’Reilly wrote “The White Rose” in an 1886 poetry collection. In the poem, he likens the color on the tips of a cream-white rose, to pure love with a kiss of desire.

White Roses in Politics

In politics, white roses are a symbol of peace. 

In Germany, a non-violent group of students in Germany that opposed Adolf Hitler called themselves “die Weiße Rose” or “the white rose.” The name stood for youth and pure intentions.

When to Gift White Roses

The white rose is a great gift for a new love, a spouse, a friend, or a family member to say you care and to brighten their day. 

White roses give hope, positive energy, and good luck. You can send them to supportive family or close friends to thank them for their guidance through your life.

White roses offer hope to family or friends during times of struggle. White roses signify a restoration of balance in your life. Giving them to someone to display in their home will mean a prosperous future.

White roses honor a loved one during a special moment in life. For a college graduate, you are honoring their outstanding achievement and wishing hope for their future. 

Read more about each rose color as gifts in our dedicated article.

White Rose Meaning in Relationships

As a symbol of eternal love, devotion, and unity, giving white roses to your spouse on your anniversary is a way to say that you love them as much as the day you married them. 

White Rose Meaning in Friendships

White roses show your friends loyalty, affection, admiration, and respect. Giving a white rose bouquet on Friendship Day (30 July) shows love and gratitude to your friend.

A gift of white roses is great for welcoming new neighbors to the community or saying goodbye to friends moving away. White roses represent the hope of a pure and honorable life in this new chapter. 

You can also send white roses as a get-well-soon gift.

Read more about roses in friendships.

Best Occasions for White Roses

White roses are an excellent choice for weddings, engagements, anniversaries, baby showers, births, graduations, housewarmings, retirement parties, Christian baptisms or confirmations, funerals and congratulations.

White Roses at Weddings

The white rose is the traditional, and the most popular wedding, flower. Nicknamed “the bride’s flower” and “the bridal rose,” the white rose’s meaning of loyalty, purity, and innocence is a perfect message to portray on your wedding day.  

White roses represent the foundation of a couple’s relationship, making a lovely wedding theme. Having flower girls throw white rose petals at your wedding symbolizes your loyalty as a couple.

White Roses at Funerals

White roses are ideal for funerals as they show sympathy, remembrance, love, reverence, honor, and respect for the departed. White roses also bring peace to those in mourning. 

White roses offer well wishes to the departed on their journey to Heaven. Any arrangement, wreath or cross with white roses are a beautiful and heartfelt addition to a funeral. 

The white rose’s connection to Christianity and the Virgin Mary gives them a spiritual connection for many people.

White Roses Meaning With Other Colors

• White roses with red roses mean loyalty and passion, unity, a joining of forces, and the purity of the love you feel for your significant other.
  • 1 white rose with 11 red roses means a union of two lovers. Conversely, 11 white roses with 1 red rose means love and affection.
• White roses with pink roses mean thankfulness, gratitude, happiness, and joy. 
• White roses with black roses mean uniqueness and rarity.
• White roses with blue roses mean spiritual union. 
• White roses with yellow roses mean friendship, loyalty, honesty, harmony, and happiness. 
• White roses with purple roses create a regal effect. White roses with light purple roses mean true love.

White Rose Varieties

• A white English rose called Winchester Cathedral has ruffled blooms. 
• The Iceberg rose resembles a wild rose with pure white flowers and a delicate fragrance. 
• White Parfum de Provence, also known as ‘The Diamond Wedding Rose’, is a white hybrid tea rose with a strong, sweet fragrance. 
• Playa Blanca is a timeless rose with many pure white petals and a double-hearted center.
• Cream Abundance has a strong citrus fragrance and old-fashioned creamy white blossoms with a golden honey center. 
• Candlelight roses have cream-colored blooms that are large and long-lasting. 
• Vendela is a classic cream or ivory rose with large flowers and only a light fragrance.

White Rose Tattoo Meaning

A white rose tattoo has many meanings, including mystery, silence, secrecy, a secret admirer, mysticism, magic, youth, innocence, purity, virginity, heavenly, loyalty, honor, and adoration. The meaning could change depending on the country;

• In America, a white rose tattoo may represent death, in memory of someone, or a fight with an enemy. 
• In Italy, it may signify being fully in love with a soulmate and wanting to spend joyful moments with them. 
• In England and Japan, white rose tattoos are tattooed on the wrist or hand to remember their commitment to a special someone. The tattoo shows dignity, respect, honor, and pure love.

Conclusion

White roses are universal flowers, perfect for many occasions due to their timeless beauty, purity, and elegance. They symbolize pure love, eternity, endless devotion, joy, grace, respect, honor, loyalty, youth, innocence, secrecy, silence, remembrance, and farewell. 

If a wedding is coming up, a baby is on the way, or even a lifelong friend is moving far away, white roses are a perfect way to express how you feel. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What do white roses symbolize?

White roses symbolize purity, innocence, loyalty, grace, and much more. They represent eternity, symbolizing a love that transcends time. They also symbolize various stages of love, from young love to everlasting love.

What is the meaning of pure white roses according to the Victorian language of flowers?

Pure white roses represent purity, innocence, and phrases like “you’re heavenly,” “let’s keep this secret,” “I’m worthy of you,” or “remain silent”. A pure white rosebud signifies girlhood, while a withered pure white rose represents fleeting beauty.

What do ivory roses mean?

Ivory white roses express purity, grace, charm, thoughtfulness, richness, and perfection. They show that you care without being overly romantic.

What is the significance of white roses with colored tips?

White roses with red tips symbolize unity, those with pink tips represent happiness and perfection, those with blue tips show purity and appreciation of a person’s uniqueness, and those with green tips symbolize renewal, fertility, peace, and celebrating new life or abundance.

What is the spiritual meaning of white roses?

Spiritually, white roses convey innocence, purity, virginity, and motherly love. They signify change, positive growth, unconditional love, and trust. They are also associated with the Virgin Mary in Christian imagery and the Goddess of Knowledge, Saraswati, in Hinduism.

What is the historical significance of white roses?

Historically, white roses have been associated with love, innocence, and purity in ancient Rome. They were also symbols for the House of York during the War of the Roses in 15th-century England. In the 18th-century, English soldiers wore white roses to inspire gallantry and honor.

What do white roses mean in different cultures?

White roses hold different meanings in various cultures. For instance, in Hong Kong, they represent purity, friendship, and wisdom, while in mainland China, they symbolize death, ghosts, and mourning. In France and Italy, they symbolize peace, and in America, they are symbolic of the women’s suffrage movement.

When is it appropriate to gift white roses?

White roses are a great gift for many occasions, including new love, anniversaries, to express care, to offer hope and positive energy, to honor achievements like graduation, or during times of struggle. They are also ideal for weddings and funerals.

What do white roses mean in relationships and friendships?

In relationships, white roses symbolize eternal love, devotion, and unity. In friendships, they show loyalty, affection, admiration, and respect.

What is the significance of white roses in art and literature?

White roses have been featured in many works of art and literature. They have been painted by artists like Henri Fantin-Latour and Georgia O’Keeffe, and have been written about in poems like “The White Rose” by John Boyle O’Reilly.

What do white roses mean in politics?

In politics, white roses are a symbol of peace. They were also used as a symbol by a non-violent group of students in Germany that opposed Adolf Hitler, called “die Weiße Rose” or “the white rose.”

What is the meaning of white rose tattoos?

A white rose tattoo can symbolize mystery, silence, secrecy, a secret admirer, mysticism, magic, youth, innocence, purity, virginity, heavenly, loyalty, honor, and adoration. The meaning can change depending on the country; for instance, in America, it may represent death or a fight with an enemy, while in Italy, it may signify being fully in love with a soulmate.

What are some varieties of white roses?

Some varieties of white roses include the Winchester Cathedral, an English rose with ruffled blooms, the Iceberg rose with pure white flowers, and the White Parfum de Provence, also known as ‘The Diamond Wedding Rose’, which is a white hybrid tea rose with a strong, sweet fragrance.

What do white roses mean when combined with other colors?

White roses combined with other colors can have different meanings.

For example, white roses with red roses mean loyalty and passion, unity, and the purity of love.

White roses with pink roses mean thankfulness, gratitude, happiness, and joy.

White roses with blue roses mean spiritual union.

What is the significance of white roses at weddings and funerals?

At weddings, white roses, also known as “the bride’s flower” or “the bridal rose,” symbolize loyalty, purity, and innocence. At funerals, white roses show sympathy, remembrance, love, reverence, honor, and respect for the departed. They also bring peace to those in mourning.