Flower Crown : A Worldwide Icon

Originally Published: March 16th, 2021

Did you know that the flower crown has been around for centuries across cultures? 

I didn’t make that connection until one day, having caught on to my love for this gorgeous accessory, Instagram started showing me images of women with crowns from all over the world.

It was a revelation!

Of course, I had the inkling that this was the case, but seeing so many images solidified it for me. 

Flower crowns are a true worldwide icon. 

In this post, I’ll cover:

• A short overview of flower crowns from around the world
• 4 easy and lovely hairstyles to use with your flower crown
• Making your own flower crown

I think it’s important to see how fashion is adapted & celebrated around the world, how it changes over time, and how it affects us today.

Ready to learn how to make your very own ribbon rosette AND review a brief history of the flower crown? 

If so, you are going to adore the video above. 

In it, I walk you through how I created several rosettes by using the book Creating Ribbon Flowers by Timothy Wright & Nicholas Kniel.

Let’s begin with the Beltane Flower Crown.

Beltane is a pagan holiday that honors life, new beginnings, and fertility.

It generally takes place on May 1^st and represents the peak of spring and the beginning of summer.

Flower crowns worn on this holiday reflect the beauty of this seasonal shift. 

As a result, flower crowns vary quite a lot from region to region as they’re made from blossoms that are native to the area.

In honor of the symbolism of new beginnings, many choose to get married as part of a Beltane celebration. 

These wedding celebrations are known as a Handfasting.

Another celebratory activity associated with Beltane is the raising and decorating of the Maypole – which is known as a symbol of fertility.

However it is that pagans celebrate Beltane, flowers are used in abundance both as accessories and as festive decorations.

Read more about this enchanting holiday in this article from The Goddess And The Green Man.

The Ukrainian flower crown is known as a vinok, which means a wreath or a crown.

These crowns, in my opinion, are quite possibly the most striking and lavish flower crowns around.

Symbolic of purity and fertility, these flower crowns are vibrant in their form, structure, and depth.

Presently, these beauties are used to honor old traditions. 

Read this article on National Geographic if you’d like to browse more beguiling photos and learn more about Ukrainian flower crowns.

Did you know that the term lei means flower garland? I didn’t.

Po’o means head.

Together, they combine to mean flower crown, a.k.a. a Lei Po’o.

Lei’s are often given as gifts in celebrations and symbolize love, affection, and greeting. 

Hence, they are often given on birthdays, engagement parties, farewell celebrations, and as welcoming gifts.

If you ever visit Kauai County, Hawaii, I think you should visit The Lei Collective because they can teach you how to make your own and teach you more about its history.

Queen Victoria married Prince Albert on April 10^th, 1840, and instead of wearing a dazzling royal tiara on her wedding day, she chose a charming flower crown made from orange blossoms.

Her choice was inspired by an Ancient Chinese tradition where orange blossom flower crowns were worn for weddings to symbolize purity and fertility.

Her departure from tradition inspired many of her daughters and daughters-in-law to also wear sweet orange blossom flower crowns on their wedding day.

Over time, orange blossoms became quite dear to Queen Victoria.

In response, Prince Albert, the good man that he was, gifted his Queen a series of orange blossom-themed pieces he personally designed.

If you’re interested in learning more about these pieces, I highly recommend this article: Queen Victoria snub: Why didn’t Queen Victoria wear a tiara for her wedding?

Day Of The Dead is a holiday I adore. 

In my early to mid-20s, I started learning more about it, and fell in love. 

I love the festivities and costumes, but more than anything I love the spiritual rituals that we host privately via an altar where we honor those we’ve loved and lost. 

If you don’t know, Day Of The Dead is often celebrated over a number of days -October 31^st-November 6^th or just November 1^st-2^nd – it all depends on the region or tradition.

We celebrate the beauty of life and the inevitability of death amongst the living with great food, lively music, and rich costumes. 

Privately, within our home, we welcome those we’d like to honor to feast and commune with us. 

We provide them with their favorite worldly pleasures – food, drink, games, etc.  

This ritual is a beautiful way of keeping their spirits alive as we generally share their stories – ensuring that younger generations also keep them in mind and know their significance within the family. 

Alters are either dedicated to just one person or a number of individuals – yes, even pets often have a place on the altar. 

In short, we honor anyone who’s story we’d like to keep alive in our hearts and within our family.

Marigold flowers play a big part in this holiday.

They’re said to direct their spirits towards their alters and guide them back home once the holiday is over. 

The living celebrate using sugar skull makeup, gorgeous traditional outfits, and a flower crown made with roses, chrysanthemums, and baby’s breath – just to name a few.

On the Day of the Dead, flower crowns are symbolic of the beauty of life.

Learn more about the history of this enchanting holiday in this post: The History of Day of the Dead.

Finally, let’s talk about the 1960’s flower crown.

This flower crown, unlike the rest, was embraced as the political stance against war. 

“Flower children” of the 1960s wore flowers in their hair. 

They distributed them to the public as a symbol of universal belonging, peace, and love and as a way of peacefully protesting U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (1955-1975).

Learn more about the flower child in this article.

Wearing a crown with an up-do is an art form.

The design of the crown, your hair’s texture, your vision for your look, and your up-do know-how - all play a part in the best outcome.

While the crown on its own is enough for most looks, an updo can help keep your crown in place. 

I hope that with this short video, you get a few ideas for how to best style your flower crown and keep it in place all day long. 

If you try any of them, do share your creations in the Facebook Group! 

I have only scratched the surface of the history of the flower crown, its many meanings, and uses.

I hope you enjoyed the related projects and tutorials. 

I’ll be adding to this post in the future to include more traditions, projects, and more.

In the meantime, I would love to know which is your favorite type of crown? 

If it isn’t one that I covered here, which is it, and what is its symbolism – do you have a picture of you wearing it?!

 If so, please share it in the Facebook Group! 

* If you know that any part of this post is false, please let me know, and I’ll make the correction. 

You can reach me via email: lovealways@kaleidoscopesandpolkadots.com or via a direct message on Facebook or Instagram.

Click on the link below to view a list of the resources I used to create this post.