“It was our favorite part of the day, this in-between time, and it always seemed to last longer than it should – a magic and lavender space unpinned from the hours around it, between worlds.” PAULA McLAIN
Flowering herb, soap, candle and amethyst. All of these are identified with the color lavender. The first recorded use of the word “lavender” as a color is in a book on dyeing published in 1705. The color derives its name from the lavender flower, which blooms in shades ranging from pale lilac to deep violet. Floral lavender is a mixture of 50% violet and 50% white. Lavender’s large family of hues includes colors with tints of other colors, for example: lavender + magenta = plum and lavender + blue = periwinkle. And sporting names like lavender purple, lavender pink and lavender gray. Lavender symbolizes serenity, nostalgia, elegance, innocence and enchantment.
Lavender is one of the ancient world’s most documented plants. Egyptian hieroglyphic texts detail the use of lavender for embalming and to produce salves that were used by the royal families and high priests in cosmetics, massage oils and medicines. It’s even recorded that wealthy Egyptian men placed solid cones of these salves on their heads, which, as the salves melted, drenched their bodies with perfume. The Romans used lavender to scent public baths, and Queen Victoria used it to soothe her headaches.
Although there is disagreement, some believe lavender is mentioned in the Bible, where it is referred to as “spikenard” or “nard,” from the Greek name for lavender, naardus, named for the Syrian city of Naarda. As in other cultures, lavender’s delicate, sweet fragrance was transformed into costly oils or ointments used to purify, heal and perfume.
King Solomon mentioned it in his song to his beloved: “While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance" (1:12). The Apostle John wrote that Mary took “a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.” On another occasion, Mark wrote that “a woman came in with an alabaster jar full of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.”
Granddaughter Blythe in a lavender field in Nova Scotia.
Lovely, lavender Blossom is part of the original herd.
Following Hasbro’s lack of success with its My Pretty Pony in 1981, they introduced six smaller, colorful versions of the toy in 1983 under the name My Little Pony. Blossom, a lavender pony with a floral pattern on her rump, was joined by Blue Belle, Butterscotch, Cotton Candy, Minty and Snuzzle. This herd ran for nine years, joined by Winged ponies, Unicorn ponies and Sea ponies, among others. They had their own primetime special in 1984, followed by a movie and TV show in 1986. Discontinued in 1992, they had amassed more than $1 billion in sales. Over the years, My Little Pony has experienced multiple rebirths, and in 2023, Hasbro reissued the original 4-inch Blossom and her five friends to celebrate their 40th anniversary.
