The Official Birth Flowers for January

Thinking of the best birthday flowers for January can be a little tricky since it falls right after a festive holiday season that’s full of well-wishing and gift-giving. Flowers are always a good idea. But choosing the right flower for your loved ones, family, or friends as a gift? Oh, it could really be a daunting task. Here we’ll take you through everything you need to know about January’s Official Birth Flower – the carnation and snowdrop including their history, origins, meanings, symbolism, and cultural significance around the world.

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The Official Birth Flower Calendar:

Month:	Birth Flower:	Meanings & Symbolism:
January:	Carnations & Snowdrop	Pink Carnations (love and appreciation), White Carnations (luck, love, and affection, and Red Carnations (love and friendship). Snowdrop (hope and rebirth).
February:	Violet, Iris, and Primrose	Violets (faithful love, truth, loyalty, humility), Iris (hope, faith, passion, purity, and innocence), Primrose (affection, young love, undying affection)
March:	Daffodils	Daffodils (new beginnings, faithfulness, luck, prosperity, and hope)
April:	Daisy & Sweet Pea	Daisy (purity, love, new beginnings, fertility, and motherhood). Sweet Pea (blissful pleasure, gratitude).
May:	Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn	Lily of the Valley (romance, luck, happiness, purity, humility). Hawthorn (hope, love, beauty, fertility, and supreme happiness).
June:	Roses & Honeysuckle	Roses (love, passion, romance, purity, gratitude). Honeysuckle (happiness and eternal love).
July:	Larkspur & Water Lily	Larkspur (happiness, love); Water Lily (enlightenment, resurrection, purity, beauty, creation).
August:	Gladiolus & Poppy	Gladiolus (integrity, honor, respect); Poppy (remembrance, prosperity, enchantment, sympathy).
September:	Aster & Morning Glory	Aster (faith, love, achievement, and wisdom); Morning Glory (affection, intimate love, patience).
October:	Marigolds & Cosmos	Marigolds (devotion, commitment); Cosmos (harmony, love, innocence, beauty, modesty, joy, and balance).
November:	Chrysanthemum & Peonies	Chrysanthemum (friendship, love); Peonies (romance, prosperity, good fortune, honor, and compassion)
December:	Narcissus, Poinsettia, and Holly,	Narcissus (innocence and purity); Poinsettia (success, celebration); Holly (happiness and optimism).

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January Birth Flowers: Carnations and Snowdrop

For many of us, the month of January is one of the coldest months of the year. Flowering can be sparse, but several plants still manage to stand out and showcase abundant and promising blooms despite falling in the midst of the winter season. Examples of these blooms are carnations and snowdrops, which are both the official birth flowers of January.

The Official Birth Flowers for January: Carnations

Think of fragrant clove-like scented blooms with multi-layered, feather-like petals that come in various shades of pink, white, and yellow. Lovely, right?

Perhaps one of the most, if not the best, highly-coveted flowers out there is carnation – the official January birth flower. It is also called dianthus (from its scientific name Dianthus spp.), grenadines, Sweet William, gillyflower, and clove pinks.

This famed ornamental plant wouldn’t be dubbed as “The Flowers of God” for nothing. It blooms in a wide variety of colors, with each color signifying different meanings and symbolism.

Carnation Flower Meaning:

Carnations as a whole signify fascination, distinction, and love. But since these popular flowers offer a variety of types and colors, they convey different meanings.  Pink carnations represent a mother’s pure love and appreciation, while white ones are for good luck, love, and affection.

Dark red carnations, much like red roses, represent deep love and affection. Lighter shades of red carnations, on the other hand, symbolize friendship and admiration.

Purple carnations represent capriciousness, yellow ones express disappointment and sorrow, and striped kinds often mean regret and unwillingness.

Carnations are also the official 1st Wedding Anniversary Flowers.

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The Official Birth Flowers for January: Snowdrop

Although not as widely recognized as carnations, these plants are also considered as a January birth flower. They give out captivating white, droopy-shaped flowers. Blooming in the winter between January and March, snowdrops are a known symbol of hope and rebirth. They are also called Galanthus.

Snowdrop Flower Meaning:

Since snowdrops bloom only in white, they further symbolize purity like other white flowers. These tiny flowers are also used to express condolence or sympathy in funerals. 

However, for the Victorians, the beautiful blooms of snowdrop represent anything but hope. They believe that bringing home a snowdrop flower would only bring bad luck and death.

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The Best Birthday Flowers for a January birthday:

Sure, unwrapping a birthday present can be thrilling, but nothing beats the feeling of receiving fresh flower arrangements on your birthday or any special occasion. Below is a useful January flowers quick gift guide:

For Your Mom

Is your mom celebrating her birthday in January? Perhaps no other flower than carnations can be more apt to give to her for the special occasion. 

Carnation isn’t merely regarded as the January birth flower. It is also known as the official Mother’s Day flower, and the pink ones, in particular, symbolize a mother’s pure love and affection. So what better gift for your loving mom than pretty-in-pink carnations?

There are diverse hues of pink carnations from light pink to vibrant and deep shades of pink depending on the variety, so you have plenty of options to choose from. The Grenadin Pink carnations, for one, display deep pink blooms. The Pinkie variety has pale pink flowers, while the Peach Delight carnations offer peach-colored flowers.   

For Your Wife or Girlfriend

Why wait for Valentine’s Day to let the love of your life know how much you love and appreciate her? If you are thinking about what kind of flower to give, you can never go wrong with the versatility of carnations. A bouquet of red carnations is your best bet if you want to express your undying love and appreciation to your other half.

You can also go for a mix of dark and red carnations to convey deep love, romance, affection, and admiration.

Some of the most common red carnations are the Cinnamon Red Hots, King of the Blacks, and Garden Spice Red carnations.

For a Grandparent

Grandparents deserve our love, too, and one way to let them know is by giving flowers like carnations and snowdrops.

Let your grandfather and grandmother know how much they mean to you by sending a bouquet of white carnations or snowdrops – or a combination of both! White flowers like these January birth flowers are a symbol of purity and love.

The Grenadin White and Floristan White are some of the most popular white carnations available.

Pink carnations, which represent a mother’s love, are also a great gifting idea for grandmothers.

For a Friend or Colleague

For friends or colleagues who celebrate birthdays in January, giving carnations also make a nice gesture of thoughtfulness. You can send them white carnations for good luck if they have something big coming up, or a colorful bouquet for appreciation and care.

One desirable feature of carnations is their versatility. Is your friend the kind of girl who can’t get enough of the color pink? Then get her the Dusty Pink variety and mix in other pink carnations like the Dona, Pink Dover, and Bizet for a feminine arrangement of blooms.

To Say Thank You or Congratulations

While carnations are often associated with love and affection, they also make great gifts to say thank you or congratulations. As mentioned above, they come in various types and shades that carry the message you want to convey.

Giving pink carnations as a gift shouldn’t be limited to moms or grandmothers as they also make a great gift as a sign of gratitude. You can get creative and incorporate many flowers, as well.

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For more, see our in-depth guide to the best birthday messages and quotes to share with friends, family, and loved ones.