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Loves me loves me not

Posted by Autumn on February 13, 2000

In Reply to: Loves me loves me not posted by ESC on February 13, 2000

: : : : trying to find the origin of this phrase - tried lots of search engines and coming up empty... can anyone help?

: : : I'm still looking. I did find this in "American Children's Folklore" by Simon J. Bronner (August House Inc., Little Rock, 1988)under "Beliefs and Customs": "To find out how a certain person feels about you, repeat the phrase "He loves me, he loves me not" as you pluck the petals of a daisy. If you take the gold center from the daisy and throw it up in the air, the number of pieces that fall on the back of your hand as you hold it out tells the number of children that you will have."

: : Thank you so much!

: Daisy information from the FTD site
: Origin & History
: The daisy derived its English name from the Anglo-Saxon term daes eage, or "day's eye," referring to the way this flower opens and closes with the sun.

: Sentiment & Symbolism
: Primarily known as the symbol of childhood innocence, this charming wildflower is said to originate from a Dryad who presided over forests, meadows, and pastures. According to Roman mythological legend, the nymph Belides, as she danced with the other nymphs at the edge of the forest, caught the eye of Vertumnus, the god of the orchards. To escape his unwanted attention, she transformed herself into the flower bellis, which is the daisy's botanical name.

: Similar in appearance to some chysanthemums, daisies continue to be associated with simplicity and modesty - two characteristics carried over from Victorian times. A well-known practice originated with heartbroken Victorian maids who wished to be loved once again by their suitors. A maid would pluck a daisy's petals one by one, chanting, "He loves me, he loves me not," for each petal pulled. Of course, it was the last petal that predicted the situation's outcome.

: A young maiden would also pick a handful of daisies with her eyes closed. The number of blossoms she held in her hand told of the number of years that remained until she married.

: While its modest simplicity made the daisy a favorite flower of many poets, its healing and predictive powers made it popular not only with farmers, but also with an infamous English king. Spring, medieval farmers would say, would not arrive until one could set a foot on twelve daisies; to dream of daisies in springtime or summer was a lucky omen, but dreams of them in fall or winter meant certain doom.

: Transplanting wild daisies to a cultivated garden was considered to be very unlucky. King Henry VIII ate dishes of daisies to relieve himself from his stomach-ulcer pain; during this time it was also believed that drinking crushed daisies steeped in wine, in small doses over 15 days, would cure insanity.

: Color Messages
: Generally speaking, daisies indicate innocence, purity, and gentleness on behalf of both the giver and the receiver. Daisies say, "You have as many virtues as this plant has petals," or, "I will consider your request." A white daisy represents shared feelings of affection, while a red daisy tells of beauty unknown to the possessor.

Thank you so much! This was a wealth of information!

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