The Gift of a Tussie Mussie for Valentine's Day

Giving a Traditional Victorian Posy of Flowers to a Valentine

Dec 11, 2008

Tussie Mussies were exchanged between Victorian sweethearts expressing secret love messages; a gift of a traditional Valentine flower posy is both unique and personal.

Originally, Tussie Mussies were small, aromatic posies used to eliminate unpleasant odors. The aromatic scents of a tussie mussie were both pleasant and a means of repelling infectious diseases; in Medieval England, scented herbs and flowers, such as Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Sage (Salvia officinalis) and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), were used in Tussie Mussies to prevent the spread of disease.

The Meaning of the Name Tussie Mussie

The name Tussie Mussie may have a number of derivations; in the fifteenth century, tussie mussies were recorded as a 'tumose of flowrys or other herbys'. Other records indicate that the name may originally have been spelled tuzzy muzzy; tuzzy is an olde English word meaning 'a knot of flowers', and muzzy may have referred to the damp moss which was wrapped around the flower stems to keep them moist.

The Elizabethan Tussie Mussie

During the English Elizabethan era, tussie mussies were frequently exchanged between lovers; many Elizabethan tussie mussies included Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Marjoram (Origanum marjorana), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) and the Mints (Mentha spp.).Tussie mussies soon became a secret code between lovers, as different flowers began to carry different meanings.

The Victorian Tussie Mussie

The Victorians made it extremely fashionable to exchange tussie mussies. The Victorians considered a young lady to be cultured if she understood the study of flowers; this included creating flower arrangements, drawing and painting flowers, pressing flowers and growing flowers. The language of love was conveyed through flowers and every educated young lady and gentleman knew the meaning of every flower presented in a tussie mussie.

The Meaning of the Flowers in a Tussie Mussie

The language of flowers was taken very seriously by the Victorians, although historians find it difficult to attach one particular meaning to a flower; flower meanings seem to vary widely between different book publications. However, it is believed that the Victorian Tussie Mussie flower language derived from Le Langage des Fleurs by Charlotte de la Tour (Louise Cortambert), published in Paris, France in 1818 and later translated into English.

Giving a Tussie Mussie for Valentine's Day

Fresh tussie mussies are easy to make by binding together the flower and herb stems with raffia. The chosen center flower is encircled with different layers of leaves and flowers and finished in bound raffia. Certain aromatic scents can influence how the receiver of the tussie mussie will react too, so it is useful to know the botany of the flowers used.

Traditionally, tussie mussies were backed by paper or lace doilies. Edwardian ladies carried tussie mussies in silver-filigree posy holders; these posy holders had a ring attached which enabled ladies to hold the tussie mussie when dancing. The gift of flowers was more popular than jewelery in some instances.

Tussie mussies were a popular gift between Victorian lovers; today, tussie mussies can be given for any special or romantic occasion including weddings, birthdays and Valentine's day. Tussie mussies are an economic but personal alternative to expensive Valentine gifts; however, in order to ensure the correct message is conveyed to a potential lover, careful consideration should be given to the chosen flowers for a Valentine's tussie mussie!

References:

For Further Information on Making a Tussie Mussie:

The copyright of the article The Gift of a Tussie Mussie for Valentine's Day in Botany is owned by Sharon Falsetto. Permission to republish The Gift of a Tussie Mussie for Valentine's Day in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.