The daffodil stood for chivalry in Victorian England, perhaps because it sometimes stood in the snow, waiting for the rest of the flowers of spring.
This crisp bloom’s name can be traced to the Old English affodyle, meaning early arrival. “The sweet o’ the year,” wrote Shakespeare, “when daffodils begin to peer.”
Pointing a finger at a daffodil bud was said to prevent it from blooming. Reputedly, it is unlucky to take a daffodil into a henhouse.
