Symbolizing sport or play in the language of flowers, the hyacinth represents constancy, while the blue hyacinth expresses sincerity and truthfulness.
Hyacinths are flowers dedicated to Apollo, the Greek god of the sun who is also considered as the patron of the arts. Hence, the hyacinth in general is used to symbolize “games and sports” as well as “rashness.”
Legend has it that the origin of hyacinth, the highly fragrant, bell-shaped flower, can be traced back to a young Greek boy named Hyakinthos. As the story goes, two gods – Apollo the sun god, and Zephyr the god of the west wind – adored Hyakinthos and competed for his attention. One day, while Apollo was teaching Hyakinthos the art of throwing a discus, Zephyr, in a jealous rage, blew the discus back, killing Hyakinthos with a strike to the head. Apollo named the flower that grew from Hyakinthos's blood as the hyacinth.