Does size matter?

[peacetraveler22]

Size plays an integral role in the process of many things, and it's the foundation for many human insecurities. This becomes apparent if you ever work with or know a male who suffers from the very real psychological disorder known as "Napoleon complex" or "short man syndrome." I work with such a man in my law firm, who suffers with some severe insecurities due to his lack of stature. His aggressive personality is a complete nightmare!

Then, we have the stereotypical worries about penis size. These too are real, as I once dated a man on the small side and this issue came up frequently - from HIM, not me. But in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet bloc countries, it seems men must worry about the size of something else - the bouquet! :)) I've recently noticed a trend on Instagram where Russian women post photos of themselves with huge bouquets of flowers. I even read an article about the phenomenon entitled "Russian Women with Shitloads of Flowers." :)  I think today is the most popular day for flowers in your region of the world, so it seems like a good time to discuss the topic.

1. I love flowers, and would rather have a bouquet any day rather than jewelry or more lavish, expensive items. I remember noticing so many small flower shops during my first visit to Kyiv, and later when I traveled through Russia and other former USSR countries. It gave me the impression that men in this part of the world give flowers much more often than American men, and this is good! Yet my female friends from Russia told me this is a false assumption, at least with the younger generations which are less attached to tradition.

2. Even my lovely blogging colleague inamora recently posted a photo of a big bouquet her husband gave her "just because." So many flowers! I didn't count the number of roses, but it's several dozen.



3. One more example. :)



4. I think a bouquet like this one is most common in the USA. They can be ordered online and delivered, or delivery can be arranged from a local flower shop. It's more expensive to order online (around $50 - $60), and the quality isn't as good. So, I always use local flower shops when I order flowers for family members and friends. The size is much larger, quality better, and the cost less (around $35 - $40 for midsize bouquet).




5. This is a photo of the last bouquet I received. Very bright and beautiful, but not grandiose in size.



6. I think flowers are much less rooted in dating and romantic traditions in the USA, and we don't have as many rules. I remember my Ukrainian friend explained to me that you should never give an even number of flowers to females, as this is only done at times of death or condolence. This is the reason almost all foreign dating sites for men looking for Ukrainian or Russian brides will have a special tutorial on flower customs in this part of the world. For instance, look here on the Brides of Ukraine site. A whole section on dating and flower customs. Or this guide for Western men on "How to Impress a Russian Woman." The last section talks about flowers.

For me personally, size does not matter. I can vividly recall the most sweet and romantic gesture of the man I lived with for several years. It was a Wednesday morning, I entered my car to go to work, and on the passenger seat there was a card and a single red rose. The card had a funny depiction that said "I love you, and want to have your babies." I liked it because it was so unexpected, random and thoughtful. I think it's always better to receive such romantic gifts and surprises out of the blue, rather than on holidays which were created by consumerism and greedy retailers.



So men, do you feel pressure to deliver huge bouquets? Or, are these articles and online information simply wrong and written for sensationalist purposes? I can't believe Russian women are so demanding. :) Would you be shamed if you brought a single red rose to a date, rather than a big bouquet?

Ladies - I congratulate you all on 8 March! I can't really understand the impact or importance of this holiday from afar, as it plays no role in the life of most American women, and the day is not a holiday, or even widely recognized. Good women, like good men, must always be celebrated and appreciated! :)

Comments

[genka8.livejournal.com]

No

[notabler.livejournal.com]

I prefer japanese style: in 1 flower is the all the beauty of all. I dislike this vanity fair in Russia

[itbudni.livejournal.com]

Once I heard a dialogue between two woman. One said: 'He brought/delivered/bought only a single flower... asshole'.
After that I never present any flower to a woman... I prefer to stay asshole without spending time and money on any flowers bucket. Btw I like to make presents, but not flowers.

Girls, I wish today to coincide everything: wine, flowers, the day and you!

[perycalypsis.livejournal.com]

* * *
в избу стучался пьяный леший
цветы сжимая и коньяк
вселив надежду в баб обычных //not demanding
и в яг //more discriminating

[elinelisky.livejournal.com]

I thinks, if this is a big bouquet, it need look so
or better be smaller and look like a some of this


And thank you, and Happy 8 March you also, Shannon!

[aavenger.livejournal.com]

Well, I do not live in the US, but next time should anyone complain about need for flowers, I will present the most huge bouquet any woman can imagine :))) (dark sardonic laughter)

Очередное пророчество, у меня их много

[andrey-kaminsky.livejournal.com]

The development of society leads to the destruction of the family. Not so long ago the mandatory things were maintaining contact with distant relatives, marital fidelity, joint budget, they all are disappearing now. Family dies, something else comes in its place.
When the level of development of capitalism in Russia will reach the level of development in the US, all this fuss with bouquets disappears.

[sectopod.livejournal.com]

I know many girls, who say: "I don't like flowers". All of thems were happy to got flowers :) I think, some of them really dislike flowers but also dislike to be without gift.

I think 3 flowers is normal usually, 5 for more impressive if we talk about roses or similar-size.
Big bouquet of flowers (or bucket with flowers) is smth for impress countryside girls.

[xuswan.livejournal.com]

Large bouquet with many flowers is expensive. And russian woman want to get expensive presents as sign of love. The number of flowers doesn't have matter especialy for me. I want to have it as a fact. My man usually presented me 5-7 flowers on holidays. And it make me usually happy. This year I'm happy twice, that he give me the perfect present - masseur for neck.

[kremlin-curant.livejournal.com]

The one of the favorite Russian song of the 20-th century is called "the million of the scarlet roses"
This is about the painter who sold his house and bought instead the million of scarlet roses for the female actor for whom he felt in love.
The author of the song doesn't explain what was the end of the drama. Nobody knows the actor appreciated the feat and took him to live in her apartment or else she rejected him and he wound up as a homeless man.

[theodorexxx.livejournal.com]

Bouquet was the last word I thought about when I saw the title

[sasha-severny.livejournal.com]

"So men, do you feel pressure to deliver huge bouquets? Or, are these articles and online information simply wrong and written for sensationalist purposes?"

I think cunning marketing managers cynically make up an advertising propaganda to increase their sales. Russian capitalism is not the kindest one. As far as I remember from living in the USSR nobody actually cared about bouquet sizes. Flowers were expensive then and men didn't give them to women on a regular basis, only in special occasions like holidays, birthdays, weddings, etc. In my opinion March 8 is a weird holiday and a bad practice to cherish women just once a year. Why not every day? My favorite holiday is Christmas. Some people get puzzled even in Canada asking why I am listening to Christmas chorals in the middle of the summer. Because I want Christmas to be every day.

[mybmd.livejournal.com]

Cannot stand flowers...
Have 4 cats and and flowers in the house mean a huge pain in my arse!
Fcuk the flowers.

[petr-rpc.livejournal.com]

День феминизма имени Клары Цеткин и абортов. Кого бы с ним поздравить?

[romanklimenko.livejournal.com]

My wife appreciates arrangements or ikebana. So it's important for me not to screw up choosing a wrong color/flower combination/arrangement :) Size doesn't matter.

[voleala.livejournal.com]

Do you know already about a strange Russian superstition that a bouquet should always have odd number of flowers. Even number is for funerals only?
Flower companies make half of their annual revenue in Russia in 2 days: March 8th and ... Guess.

[e-g-o-r-i-u-s.livejournal.com]

"I think it's always better to receive such romantic gifts and surprises out of the blue, rather than on holidays which were created by consumerism and greedy retailers."

Shannon, but imagine that proponents of consumerism and greedy retailers did not tell sometime in your childhood that the most appropriate gift for a woman is a flower or a bouquet - would you love flowers/bouquets in such a case? I mean, where this womens' love for flowers coms from? Why flowers? Why so stereotypic and desired?

And why do I indeed feel guilty when I am carrying a single rose or, say, only 3 of them?.. Hate this feeling :)

[dkfl.livejournal.com]

I don't undestand 8 March. Women are supposed to celebrate their equal rights, instead they exchange sex for flowers ;)

I think it should be beautiful and expressive.

[pin-gwin.livejournal.com]

My aunt made a fortune on design bouquets.... She has her own store, and her daughter(my cousin) was studying flower design in UK. Well, her bouquets are never huge, just beautiful. She has chain competitors in this small city, but her business is doing well for years.
Her store is right here, and it looks like I even see her SUV.... - see this green ЦВЕТЫ entrance.
https://www.google.com/maps/@55.3872065,36.7353771,3a,37.5y,177.59h,87.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-2g5pWFSJSHdFada7Dbe_Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And Happy Holiday, Shannon...

[zhang-fei.livejournal.com]

Just thinking abount the amount of money that was wasted on some of these bouquets makes me consider going gay. I bet, most homosexual gentlemen don't have this problem, pretty much every holiday for them would be like this:
- Honey, what have you prepared for me this time?
- Ehmm... cock?
- Yeah, I'll take that.

[peterkaymd.livejournal.com]

I have some flowers for you - "picked" them last week
(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7957_zpsjh9ny1m6.jpg.html)
(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7958_zpswcc34fwb.jpg.html)

(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7959_zpsmmirfir1.jpg.html)
(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7975_zpszzbjgsib.jpg.html)
(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7980_zps5g9yaovm.jpg.html)

(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7996_zpswgvrlouo.jpg.html)

(http://s58.photobucket.com/user/c5vettelover/media/IMG_7998_zps7vwy3udt.jpg.html)

f-ing waste of resources

[serjiojitser.livejournal.com]

flowers should be in the pot, and grow, not cut and die

[Макс (from livejournal.com)]

I just read your recent post called - If kisses were leaves, I would give you a forest

and I have only one question - what about mosquitoes? were they there? You can't go to russian's forests to lie down look at the stars or making love. They will bite you to death.

[kichiro-sora.livejournal.com]

Just tell you a story. We have a russian guy in town, and his mother in law friends with my mom, so we know all the details :) So on march 8th he get up early and manicured himself for hours, then put on his best clothes and tie, then he bought a HUGE bouquet of HUGE roses, and started towards his wife office. To congratulate her on this most important occasion and proclaim his forever love.

Romantic, right? What if I add he doesn't work, just stays at home and enjoys life. So everything, including roses is paid by wife. What do you make of that...

[inamora.livejournal.com]

Happy 8th, Shannon ))
I just like flowers - of any kind )) Roses, tulips, orchids, chrysanthemums - they just must be beautiful )))
And size doesn't matter )))