April 15: Lilac

The French Revolutionary Calendar celebrates Lilac on this date. Here are ten things you might not know about lilac.

1. Lilacs belong to the same family as the Olive tree.
2. There are about 25 species of lilac which include flowers in various colours as well as lilac. Lilacs come in White, pale Yellow, Red and Pink, too.
3. Lilac is native to southeastern Europe and eastern Asia. Trees range from a height of 2m to 10m (6 to 10 feet).
4. Most Lilac trees bloom in the spring, for about 2-3 weeks. Easter often falls in their blooming time, so in Greece, Lebanon and Cyprus, the lilac is a symbol of Easter. There are, however, varieties which bloom several times a year.
5. The scientific name for lilac is Syringa vulgaris. The name is derived from the Greek word “syrinks” meaning pipe. This is thanks to a tale from Greek mythology about the origin of the plant. A nymph named Syringa was being pursued through a forest by the god Pan, who was in love with her. She wasn't interested, and if the truth be told, was a little afraid of him. She turned herself into a lilac bush in order to hide from him. Pan gave up looking for her when he found the shrub and noticed it had hollow reeds. He cut them to make the first Pan pipes.
6. In the language of flowers, lilacs represent spring and renewal, and also confidence, which is why they are commonly given to graduates. They also have a variety of meanings depending on the colour. Lilac means first love, white is purity and innocence, violet is spirituality, blue is happiness and tranquillity, and magenta is love and passion. In Victorian times, they also symbolised the memory of a lost love, and were often worn by widows.
7. Purple lilacs have the strongest scent. The strong fragrance was the reason the Celts believed they were magical flowers.
8. The lilac is the official flower of a couple’s 8th wedding anniversary.
9. It is also the state flower of New Hampshire and as such represents the hardy nature of its people.
10. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were fond of lilacs and grew them in their gardens, while Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet used to paint them. Walt Whitman wrote poetry about them. His poem, When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d, is about the last days of Abraham Lincoln.

More details about my books. Follow this link if you like Superheroes, Psychics and/or quirky short stories. 

I've listed the themes each novel touches on here for easy reference.

Like my author page on Facebook for news on new books and blog posts.

Follow me on Twitter and Pinterest

Check out my Writing blog