Newsletters
In Türkiye, giving and receiving flowers remains an essential part of expressing emotion, showing respect, and celebrating life. The cultural roots of this tradition date back to the Ottoman era, where flowers conveyed coded messages in royal courts, private gardens, and public events. In 2025, this symbolic language still shapes the daily lives of millions. Whether marking a joyful moment, offering comfort during illness, or simply brightening someone’s day, flowers serve as a shared emotional gesture across generations.
Today, the flower tradition continues not only in person but through digital convenience. Major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir are home to countless florists, while online platforms have made it possible to send blooms quickly across the country and from abroad. This fusion of heritage and technology shows how a centuries-old practice remains relevant in modern life.
The tradition of giving out flowers is deeply ingrained into the Turkish social trends, accepted and welcomed not only by the younger population. There is certain symbol in each type of flowers. The carnations are common during national remembrances. White lilies are also common during weddings and funerals because they connote purity and reminisce. Red roses imply love and devotion, whereas tulips, the symbol of grace and abundance in the Ottoman society, remain so.
This tradition lives in daily life activities. People take it as a norm to bring some flowers when they pass by to check on a neighbor, when visiting their friends and when they want to celebrate their exam outcomes. The field of florists in cities and small towns serves many different circumstances: congratulating the birth of a baby, condolences, or good luck before an operation. The language of flowers is a language that is spoken to date.
The younger generations are embracing this culture differently. The students of universities often post flowers on social networks or complement a colleague with flowers when they are in an exam period. Flower decoration is applied in apartments as a means of an aesthetic effect and emotional support. Single stems are also accepted- a reminder to the recipients that they are not forgotten even on an ordinary day.
A florist with more than 20 years of experience in Istanbul, Sevim Altan pushes young customers more than they have before. More young males and females are purchasing little bouquets to present to their friends or professors. The fact is that it is an act of appreciation or encouragement and that emotional worth has not been diminished over time, she clarified.
Public events continue to promote this culture. National Flower Week features school exhibitions and community gardens in cities like Bursa and Konya. Universities increasingly include floristry and flower design in elective courses, mixing creativity with cultural education. These activities pass down values while adjusting to modern aesthetics.
Türkiye’s flower industry has embraced digital services while preserving its traditional character. Several companies provide nationwide coverage and flexible delivery options. Well-established services such as CicekSepeti, BonnyFood, and TazeCicek allow users to choose arrangements by flower type, price, or occasion. Many platforms offer same-day delivery in urban areas and allow international payments, helping people living abroad send flowers to family in Türkiye.
These are also platforms that are adapted to a certain custom. On national holidays or official religious festivals special makeovers of curated choices are made available using culturally suitable designs and seasonal flowers. Personal messages and hand written notes continue to be the hot add-ons and they keep alive the touch of personal touches.
International denizens, such as Interflora and FloraQueen use the assistance of Turkish florists to keep it culture-sensitive. A flower bouquet to be delivered to Ankara in Germany or condolence arrangement to Gaziantep in the Netherlands can reach the place on time and in a better fashion, covering geographical distances.
Local stores are also successful, especially in neighborhood shops. In Istanbul florists are a part of everyday life in Besiktas and particularly in Kadikoy, just as they feature in the Ulus Market in Ankara. Clients will use messaging applications to order or even walk in to select blooms in a last-minute event. Recurring customers also visited these stores e.g. companies buying flowers for their employees or couples having anniversaries.
The availability of flowers seasonally influences local decisions. In spring there comes tulips, hyacinth, and daffodil. During the summer florists stock peonies, roses and daisies. Autumn and winter accentuate chrysanthemums, orchid and greenery cultivated in home-grown greenhouses. Florists guide their customers in their choice of things depending on the season and the attitude the gift is meant to show.
The trend towards sustainability is as well on the rise. There are even startups that provide flowers grown without pesticides and packaged in it using recycled paper or cloth. The flower subscription companies also have introduced environment related bouquets and repurposing arrangement tutorials. These initiatives are an indicator of the turn towards environmental consciousness in gifting.
To the people of Türkiye, flowers are not just decorative, but they are emotion carriers, social connectors, and relics of the past. However, even with the lifestyle changes, giving out of flowers has not only persisted but it has now fitted into new tools and new expectations. It is one of the initial acts performed when somebody is making significant steps in his life and it is also something simple that can usually make a person feel a little bit better when they had a rough day.
The tradition connects individuals of different generations and introduces the grace of Ottoman courtyards into the tempo of contemporary apartments. This tradition is as intact as ever with on-line shops and local florists cooperating and complementing one another. Flowers in Türkiye still provide beauty, healing, and the imminent feeling of having a connection everlasting.
4 min read
