Ritual of flowers for prom goes way back
Prom has become a rite of passage in modern American culture. Glamorous tuxedos, poofy gowns, live DJs, fancy ballrooms and shiny limousines have all become a part of the dance’s trademark.
Yet there is another tradition that dates much farther back than even the origins of this high school celebration. Boys slide a corsage onto the girl’s wrist and the girls pin a boutonniere to the boy’s suit jacket. Have you ever wondered why we teens perform this peculiar ritual?
Boys, don’t think wearing flowers isn’t manly, because historically men have been wearing them long before women. Ancient Egyptian and Aztec records indicate men wore blossoms on their chest in support for a favorite player in a sporting event.
Later, in the 1600s, men wore bundles of flowers on their clothes on a daily basis to ward off evil spirits and disease. The practice today is to wear the boutonniere on the left side of the jacket or chest from the old custom of wearing them closest to the heart to protect it from the evil spirits. Eventually, through the years, men reserved wearing flowers only to formal occasions.
For girls, wearing flowers was first seen in the early Greek civilization. It was documented women wore a grouping of flowers in the center of the bodice of the wedding dress, for it was believed the fragrance of the flowers and herbs were essential to warding off omens that could bring bad luck and disfavor to the marriage.
The word, ‘corsage,’ originally referred to the bodice of a woman’s dress. The French term, “bouquet de corsage” literally means, “bouquet of the bodice,” which is where the name for these small bouquets originated from.
The ritual of wearing flowers to weddings continued through the years and ultimately transferred to the courting process as well. A gentleman would show respect toward his lady’s parents by presenting them with flowers as a gift. Then he would take a single bloom out of the bouquet and attach it to his sweetheart’s dress in the same fashion as a boutonniere.
Over the years as women’s dresses evolved to mostly spaghetti straps and strapless gowns, florists created a mini bouquet that attached to the wrist.
Although time, technology and beliefs drastically change through the centuries I think it is very endearing some of these ancient traditions are still a part of our lives. Now when you pin on those tricky boutonnieres or slide on a sweet-smelling corsage perhaps you’re still warding off evil spirits that could bring bad luck to your date.
Erynn Pontius is a senior at Weber High School. Email her at pontiusmarie@yahoo.com.