Daisy Day

January 28th is Daisy day. It is observed annually, and celebrates the daisy flower, also known as the common daisy, lawn daisy, or English daisy. In England it is commonly called a bruisewort, because the crushed leaves were traditionally used to soothe bruised skin.

Daisies symbolize innocence and purity. This stems from an old Celtic legend. According to the legend, whenever an infant died, God sprinkled daisies over the earth to cheer the parents up.

In Norse mythology, the daisy is Freya’s sacred flower. Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, and as such the daisy came by symbolize childbirth, motherhood, and new beginnings. Daisies are sometimes given to congratulate new mothers.

They also mean chastity and transformation because of the Roman myth of Vertumnus and Belides. Vertumnus, god of seasons and gardens, became enamored with Belides, a nymph. He continuously pursued her, and in order to escape his affections she turned herself into a daisy. Daisy’s scientific name Bellis, stems from this story.

Daisy’s are composite flowers, meaning that they actually consist of two flowers combined into one. The inner section is called a disc floret, and the outer petal section is called a ray floret. Because daisies are composed of two flowers that blend together so well, they also symbolize true love.

In Old English, daisies were referred to as “day’s eye” because at night the petals close over the yellow center and during the day they re-open. The phrase “as fresh as a daisy” originated from this, signifying that someone had a good night’s rest.

The word daisy also made its way into other slang words and phrases. In the 1800s, the phrase “ups-a-daisy” was commonly used to encourage children to get up when they fell. This eventually transformed into “oopsy daisy” or “whoops-a-daisy” — an exclamation after a stumble or mistake.

During this time “daisy” also became English slang for something excellent or appealing. This term made an appearance in 1993 Doc Holliday film Tombstone in which he uses phrases like, “You’re no daisy. No daisy at all.”

The daisy, and its meaning, also inspired renowned authors and poets throughout history. Shakespeare used a daisy chain in Hamlet to represent Ophelia’s innocence. Wordsworth also praised the daisy in his popular poem “To The Daisy.”

But now my own delights I make,
My thirst at every rill can slake,
And gladly Nature’s love partake
Of Thee, sweet Daisy!

The daisy has more than 23,000 varieties. Daisies are native to Northern Europe but can be found in North America, Australia, Africa, South America and even Iceland and Greenland. Daisies are often found on lawns, and are considered to be an invasive species, but are also seen as being valuable for ground cover in some garden spaces. They are perennial flowers that usually bloom in early to midsummer. They have a long growing season, and in some places will even produce a few flowers in mild winters.

Today is an excellent day to engage in some Daisy Magick. If you live in an area where daisies are growing this time of year, go out and try to find some. Enjoy them in nature, or pick some to put in a vase or to make a daisy chain with. You could also put them in a salad or on a sandwich, or use them to make tea. Some people use them for medicinal purposes. Wild daisy tea is used to treat coughs, bronchitis, inflammation, and more. Wild daisies are also sometimes applied to the skin for wounds and diseases.

Make sure to use sayings that use the word “daisy” today. Say “oopsies daisies” or “whoops-a-daisy” when you make a mistake. If something is healthy or full of energy say is is “fresh as a daisy.” If you talk about death, make sure to use to phrase “pushing up daisies.”

Origin of this Holiday

Our research did not find the creator, or the origin of this day. It is possible this holiday may of been created by the greeting card industry. There is also no reference as to why the month of January or why the 28th of the month was picked to celebrate this day.

This holiday is referred to as a “National” day- However, we did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day. Even though we didn’t, this is still a holiday that is publicized to celebrate. So enjoy the day and have fun with it.

Sources:

• Checkiday
• Web Holidays
• Ftd