proverb · Words worth keeping
As welcome as the flowers in May.
As welcome as the flowers in May.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A person or event is warmly welcomed as a pleasing arrival. May flowers give the welcome an image of freshness and delight.
What the words are saying
The comparison makes an arrival feel like something anticipated and gladly received. It can express affection, relief or appreciation for what has appeared. The seasonal image does not need to be a factual statement about every place’s flowering calendar. A useful reading concerns the welcome itself, and should be expressed in a way that respects the arriving person rather than making them responsible for everyone’s happiness.
Everyday example
Friends warmly greet someone returning to a gathering without placing demands on them to entertain the group.
When to use it
Use it to express a glad, considerate welcome.
What it does not mean
The image is seasonal rhetoric, not a universal calendar or an obligation to please others.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1746 · Welcome
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English