There is a flower for every occassion and listed below are some of them along with the related folklore and reasons for the associations.
January 1: New Years Day - ~Apple~
According to tradition an apple decorated with cloves and rosemary or holly, is a lucky gift to give on New Year's Day.
January 1: Dedicated to St Faine, an Irish abbess - ~Evergreen Laurustinus~
January 21: Dedicated to St. Agnes - ~Christmas Rose~
St. Agnes was a 13 year old martyr who died rather than marry a pagan Roman officer. Patroness of young girls and chastity
February 1: St. Bride's Day - ~Oats~
St. Bride's Day is the Celtic celebration of the coming Spring. Girls would make the "last sheaf" of the previous harvest into the image of the Celtic goddess Brigit, to lay in a decorated cradle called the "Bride's Bed." St. Brigid, named for the goddess Brigit, is the protector of pregnant women and midwives and one of the three patron saints of Ireland.
February 2: Candlemas Day - ~ White Snowdrop~
Candlemas Day, is the blessing of the candles (also known as Feast of the Presentation of the Lord), observed in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. According to an old rhyme, "If Candlemas is fair and clear, There'll be two winters in the year." Today, this superstition is associated with the groundhog (Groundhog Day).
February 12: Lent - ~ Daffodil~
Daffodils are ssociated with Lent, the 40 days of fasting and penitence before Easter Sunday in most Christian churches. Also known as the "Lent Lily."
February 13: Dedicated to Saint Agatha - ~ Primrose~
February 14: St. Valentine - ~Crocus~
St. Valentine, the Christian martyr for whom the modern Valentine's Day holiday is named. While the exact origins of the holiday are lost, many believe Feb 14 was selected for the celebration of Christian martyrs to disrupt celebrations of Lupercalia -- a Roman fertility festival.
March 1: Dedicated to St. David - ~The Leek~
St. David is the patron saint of Wales, and is the national emblem of Wales. It was said to protect its wearer from injury in battle.
March 12 : Plant a Flower Day
March 13: Mothering Sunday - ~Violets~
Flowers, usually violets, are the typical Mothering Sunday present, when children living far from home are to visit their mothers to 'make them a present of money, a trinket, or some nice eatable'. Mothering Sunday is also known as Mid-Lent Sunday -- is the fourth Sunday in Lent.
March 13: Dedicated to St. Euphrasia - ~Pansy~
March 17: Dedicated to St. Patrick - ~Shamrock~
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. A national holiday in Ireland. St. Patrick is said to have used the three-leaved shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of Trinity.
March 18: Dedicated to St. Edward - ~Crown Imperial~
March 21: Dedicated to St. Benedict - ~Valerian~
St. Benedict was the founder of monasticism in Western Europe
March 21: Spring Equinox - ~Wood Anemone~
March 23: Palm Sunday - ~Palm Branches~ ~Yew~ ~Box~
Palm Sunday, commemorates Christ's last entry into Jerusalem. A moveable holiday celebrated a week before Easter.
March 28: Good Friday - ~Wreaths of Elder~
Good Friday, commemorates the crucifixion of christ. In earlier times, wreaths of elder were hung over doors and windows to ward of lightning.
March 30: Easter - ~Pasque Flower~ (rare)
Easter, which commemorates the Resurrection of Christ in Christian churches.
April - National Garden Month
April 4 : Puyalley Valley Daffodil Festival - ~Daffodil~
Puyalley Valley Daffodil Festival celebrates the Daffodil flower. A nine-day celebration, it coincides with the blossoming of daffodils in the Puyalley Valley.
April 8: The National Cherry Blossom Festival - ~Cherry Blossom~
The National Cherry Blossom Festival, held annually in Washington, D.C., celebrates the delicate beauty of cherry tree blossoms. The 3,000 cherry trees were a gift from the city of Tokyo in 1912.
April 28: The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival - ~Apple Blossom~
The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival, celebrated in the first weekend in May, coincides with the blossoming of the apple trees in the orchards of Wenatchee Valley. The origins of the festival go back to 1920.
April 30: The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester - ~Apple Blossom~
The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, VA, has celebrated the blossoming of trees in area apple orchards since 1924.
May 1: May Day - ~Flower Garlands~ ~Lilac~
May Day decoration, traced to pagan ceremonies celebrating the beginning of summer. Couples would go "a-Maying" after midnight, taking branches from trees and decorating them with garlands of flowers. Upon returning home soon after sunrise, the garlands would be placed over doors and windows. According to American frontier folklore, a young girl who wears a white dogwood blossom on this morning will learn the Christian name of her future husband when she meets the first man wearing a white hat that day.
~Lilac~ Also known as "May-flower." Tradition says not to wear lilac (except on May Day); giving your betrothed lilacs indicated the engagement was off! May Lily-of-the-Valley. Also known as "May-lily." May Hawthorn. Also called "May-bloom" or "May-tree". In ancient Greece, Hawthorn was used for marriage torches, and brides would wear crowns of hawthorn during the wedding ceremony.
May 1: Lei Day - ~Flower Leis~
Lei Day, an annual celebration in Hawaii since 1928. "Lei Day is May Day" with celebrations and contests for the leis of flower blossoms, seed, and leaves.
May 2: Dedicated to St. Athanasius - ~Tansy~
It is also used to flavor Lenten cakes.
May 8: Mother's Day - ~Carnation~
In 1907 a Pink Carnation became the symbol of Mother's love and was chosen as the emblem of Mother's Day.
May 13: The Tulip Time Festival - ~Tulip~
The Tulip Time Festival in Holland, is an annual four-day celebration of Tulips. Originated in 1927 when a local teacher suggested planting tulips as a civic beautification project, now celebrated with a parade and performances by the "Klompen Dancers" in wooden shoes.
May 17-23: National Wildflower Week
May 18: The Pentecost - ~Peony~
Peony is also known as the Pentecost rose. The Pentecost is the Christian feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit unto the Apostles 50 days after Easter.
May 29: Oak Apple Day - ~Oak~
Old tradition of wearing an oak twig or leaf or an oak apple to commemorate the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. During concealment, Charles was hidden in an oak tree (1651). In the Middle Ages, Oak boughs were carried in wedding ceremonies as symbols of fertility.
June 1: The Royal Poinciana Festival - ~Royal Poinciana~
The Royal Poinciana Festival in Miami coincides with the blooming of the Royal Poinciana trees that line the streets.
June 4: Portland Rose Festival - ~Rose~
The Portland Rose Festival has celebrated the beauty of the rose since 1907 with parties, parades, and competitions. Portland has come to be known as the "City of Roses".
June 11: St. Barnabus' Day - ~Roses~ ~Lavender~ ~Woodruff~
Old tradition of decorating churches with these flowers on St. Barnabus' Day, said to be the time to begin harvesting hay.
June 24: St. John's Day - ~Fennel~ ~St. John's Wort~
St. John's Day, also known as Midsummer's Day, when fennel and St. John's wort were hung over doorways to protect the household from demons and evil spirits.
June 25: Dedicated to Saint William - ~Sweet William~
June 29 Dedicated to St.Peter - ~Pinks~ ~Parsley ~
Once-popular folklore said that you should never cut parsley if you are in love.
July 12: Dedicated to St. Veronica - ~Speedwell~
July 20: Dedicated to Saint Margaret - ~Daisy~
July 25: St. Bartholomew's Day - ~Sunflower~
Also known as Saint Bartholomew's star. Superstition says that "If St. Bartholomew's Day be bright and clear, Then a prosperous autumn comes that year."
July 25: Dedicated to Saint James - ~Chicory~ ~Fleabane~ ~Meadowsweet~ ~Vetch~ ~Royal Fern~
Dedicated to Saint James, the first apostle to suffer martyrdom (Roman Catholic and Episcopalian churches). Patron Saint of Spain and Chile.
September 29: Dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel - ~Michaelmas Daisy~ ~Angelica~
Michaelmas is the feast of St. Michael and All Angels celebrated in the Greek and Roman Catholic churches. It's said that if acorns fall on St. Michael's Day, there will be a bitter winter.
September 30: St. Jerome - ~Golden Star Lily~
Known as St. Jerome's lily. St. Jerome was one of the greatest scholars of the early Christian church.
October 28: St. Simon's Day - ~Chestnuts~
Chestnuts were traditionally eaten on St. Simon's Day.
October 30: Dedicated to St. Therese of Lisieux - ~Roses~
Associated with St. Therese of Lisieux, the young Carmelite nun.
November 22: Dedicated to St. Cecilia - ~Wood Sorrel~
Dedicated to St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. According to legend, St. Cecilia invented the organ, and her musical skill caused an angel to fall in love with her.
November 25: Dedicated to St. Catherine - ~Love-in-a-mist~
December 25: Christmas - ~Mistletoe~
Kiss under the mistletoe for good luck! In England, the Christmas mistletoe was burned on Twelfth Night so the boys and girls who had kissed under it would not be jinxed and would be able to marry.
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