Secret Language of Wax Seals

A few days ago, while sprucing up a bit, a little slip of paper fell out of a book. Picking it up to put it back it turned out to be notes jotted down years ago about the meaning behind wax seals. Or their respective colors really. It turns out they, along with flowers, also had their own secret language. Does red really mean love? What was the color for wedding or dinner invitations? With wedding season now here, I thought these, all gleaned from antique books, would be of real interest right now, so on with the meanings...

Keep Reading for the Secret Meanings

• White - Marriages but also surprisingly enough death, funerals and melancholy

• Black & Violet - Condolences and for black, notice of death 

• Light Red - Denotes a happy lover and for Valentines

• Brown - Displeasure

• Chestnut brown - Dinner invitations

• Yellow - Spurned adorers

• Green - Hope

• Pale green - Reproaches

• Sky blue - Constancy

• Rose colored & Pink - Appropriate for girls writing one another

• Gray - Friendship

• Flaming Vermilion - The most common color of wax seals today was used on business letters needing a quick reply

Another type of wax seal with meaning were those with a feather through them, for those meanings see my previous post on Fjäderbrev wax seals here.

The little presents above are wax paper over fabric wrapped gifts with hemp twine and wax seals. For how to create both traditional wax seals (see here), seals created out of glue sticks (see here) and for chocolate versions atop red velvet love letter cupcakes click here.

Image: mam for Gave That