Valentine’s Day is coming up, and this year instead of buying your loved one or friend a bouquet of roses, consider taking them for a stroll through Capitol Park or even Sacramento State’s campus to observe the vibrant hues of the camellias.

Camellia flowers are known for being a symbol of adoration, devotion, and loveliness.

In Chinese culture, significant attention is focused on two key attributes of the camellia. According to livingartsoriginals.com, the petals and the calyx symbolize how a young man protects and supports the young woman he loves; camellias symbolize pure, devoted love because when the flower’s petals fall off, so does the calyx.

The peak of the camellia’s blooming season is throughout the month of February and their shades of whites, pinks and reds, as well as their symbolism of love seem to coordinate with Valentine’s Day.

However, due to it often being overlooked, the camellia acts almost as a wall flower.

Camellias were first brought over from Japan on Feb. 7, 1852 by James Warren, and have impacted the city of Sacramento ever since.

In 1941, camellias were officially declared as the city of Sacramento’s flower, and soon after, the Camellia Society was born.

In 1950, Camellia Week took place from Feb. 20-25 and with the help of donations, 50,000 camellias were planted all over the city. The first annual Camellia Festival was held in 1955, consisting of a breakfast, children’s parade, Camellia Ball, and the Camellia Show, which still thrives today.

Camellias held great precedence on Sac State’s Campus during the early years of the Camellia Festival, especially regarding the annual selection of the Camellia Queen.

Two women were nominated from each college including Sac State, Sacramento City, American River, and Consumnes River and participated in multiple preliminary events leading up to the reveal at the Camellia Ball.

Denelle Ellis, a former Camellia Queen and Sac State alumna, said that in order to apply, the requirements included a minimum GPA, and a significant amount of community involvement. Ellis accumulated over 100,000 hours at Mercy Hospital and was also an active participant in other volunteer activities.

Ellis’s enthusiasm about the experience included reminiscence about the ball, and the opportunity to connect with people both within the Camellia Court of Sacramento and also internationally.

Ellis was affiliated with the Philippines because each year, a different country was chosen to have relations with. The consul of the Philippines, General Arguelles, was present at the ball where Ellis was crowned.

Ellis was escorted by Brian Camp who was the youngest “Gold Coater” to ever be selected. She laughed as she described her promenade around the room after being crowned, because Camp had broken his leg earlier from a skiing accident, and had to be rolled around in a wheelchair.

When asked which part of her Camellia Queen experience she cherished the most, Ellis responded, “I think the camaraderie of us as a Camellia Court and the international aspect…what it introduced us to. It was hard; it was a year long, but it was a culturally enriching engagement. It was amazing to be able to do.”

Her positive and spirited reflection of being a Camellia Queen, prompted the question of why this festival is no longer present on Sac State’s campus. She suggested that due to the individual cities being established in the greater Sacramento area, less time, energy and money was available for events in the heart of Sacramento.

Ellis commented, “I’m sad that it was lost because it could have become something as big as the New York floral show.”

Even though the Camellia Festival which includes the annual selection of a queen does not take place anymore, there still remains the annual Camellia Show at the Downtown Memorial Auditorium.

This year, the dates for its opening are March 7 and 8.