Forget-me-not Flower Meaning and the Stories and Legends Behind It
Forget-me-not is a plant in the genus Myosotis of the family Boraginaceae. Its flower language is eternal love, deep affection and profound friendship, an unchanging heart, and everlasting memories. The meaning of forget-me-not is "please do not forget my sincere love," or it represents "please think of me, and with loyal hope that it is not too late, I will return again to bring you happiness."
The Chinese name for forget-me-not is a direct translation of the English name Forget-me-not. Forget-me-not itself carries the sense of "eternity"; although it looks like a paper flower, it has always been regarded as the "lover among flowers," so some also call it the unfading flower, and it is also known as the lovesickness herb. Young men and women exchange forget-me-nots to express deep affection. Moreover, after forget-me-nots are made into dried flowers, their color does not fade for a long time, making them very suitable for pressing in books or as a token of love.
Origin Legend
In German legend, when God had finished naming all the flowers, a small unnamed flower cried out: "Oh, my God, please do not forget me (Forget-me-not)!"
So God gladly answered: "That is your name."
After forget-me-nots are made into dried flowers, their color does not fade for a long time, making them very suitable for pressing in books or as a token of love, and this is how they got their name.
The Story Behind the Flower Language
The name forget-me-not comes from a tragic love story. It is said that a German knight was walking with his sweetheart along the Danube River, and during their walk he saw a small flower with blue blossoms blooming by the riverbank. The knight, disregarding the danger to his life, leaned out to pick the flower, but unexpectedly lost his footing and fell into the rushing current. Knowing he could not be saved, the knight said, "Do not forget me!" and threw that blue, translucent flower to his sweetheart, then disappeared into the water.
After that, the knight's sweetheart wore the small blue flower in her hair day and night, to show that she would not forget her lover and to show her loyalty, and that blue, translucent flower thus came to be called "forget-me-not," and its flower language is "do not forget me" and "true love."
Flower Language and Meaning
[Forget-me-not Flower Language] Eternal love, deep affection and profound friendship, an unchanging heart, everlasting memories.
[Forget-me-not Meaning] "Please do not forget my sincere love," or it represents "please think of me, and with loyal hope that it is not too late, I will return again to bring you happiness."