Estonians are big flower givers. Guests are expected to bring flowers if invited to dinner, flowers are widely given on people's birthdays, and there are semi-permanent flower stalls set up on many streets in Tartu. Unfortunately, at least for foreigners, is that there is a huge number of 'rules' about what you can and can't do when giving flowers. Here are the ones that I managed to uncover:
(i) Always give an odd number of flowers, unless it is a funeral.
(ii) Rule (i) can be ignored if you are giving more than 10 flowers (presumably on the grounds that people don't bother checking when there are that many).
(iii) There is a superstition in Estonia which says that yellow flowers are a sign of a coming loss of a loved one.
(iv) Only give red roses in romantic contexts.
(v) The flowers traditionally associated with Soviet monuments have been red carnations.
(vi) White flowers are generally avoided, with the exception of white roses.
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