How the rose became a token of love

The Valentine's Week has begun, giving people yet another chance to celebrate their love.This unique week of romance begins with what is popularly known as Rose Day and is celebrated on February 7. On this day, you will find lovers exchanging roses to express their emotions.While this gesture may have emerged as a very common practice, do you know how the rose became a symbol of love?

If one closely follows the letters in the word ''rose,'' one would realise how they have been arranged so that it will spell Eros, the Greek god of love. That's how the flower became an expression of love.Roses are of different colours and each of these colours signify a different sentiment.

Red rose: Red rose is usually gifted to convey passionate longing and desire. In Greek and Roman iconography, the red rose is tied to Aphrodite or Venus, the goddess of love. Over the years, it came to be projected as a symbol of love in classical and contemporary art.