Editing Common sunflower (section)

==In culture==
[[File:Anthony van Dyck - Self-portrait with a Sunflower.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Anthony van Dyck]] with sunflower ({{Circa|1633}})]]
[[File:Vincent Van Gogh - Three Sunflowers F453.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|[[Vincent van Gogh]] – "Lausanne" Sunflowers (1888)]]

According to [[Iroquois mythology]], the first sunflowers [[Origin myth|grew]] out of Earth Woman's legs after she [[Maternal death|died giving birth]] to her [[Twin|twin sons]], [[Hahgwehdiyu|Sapling and Flint]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Us|first=Kimberly|date=14 November 2021|title=''Thanksgiving: Native American Stories, Recipes and Crafts''|url=https://kimberlyus.com/thanksgiving-native-american-stories-recipes-and-crafts/|publisher=KimberlyUs.com}}</ref>

The [[Zuni people]] use the blossoms ceremonially for anthropic worship.<ref>Stevenson, p.93</ref> Sunflowers were also worshipped by the Incas because they viewed it as a symbol for the Sun.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunflower Symbolism & the Meaning of Sunflowers in the Language of Flowers |url=http://livingartsoriginals.com/flower-sunflower.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218225800/http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/flower-sunflower.htm |archive-date=2014-02-18 |access-date=2014-03-07}}</ref>

Stories of [[Clytie (Oceanid)|Clytie]] the [[nymph]] who was spurned by her former lover [[Helios]] end with her transformed into what may be translated as sunflower. However, the plant in [[Greek mythology]] may be, "partly pale and partly red, and very like a violet". The plant described also exhibits [[heliotropism]], with its face turning towards the sun. This plant may be a species in the genus heliotrope (''[[Heliotropium]]'').<ref>{{cite book |last1=Farrar |first1=Frank Albert |url=https://archive.org/details/oldgreeknaturest00farriala/page/204 |title=Old Greek Nature Stories |date=1910 |publisher=G. G. Harrap & company |location=London |pages=203–204 |access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> However, less commonly it is identified as the common marigold (''[[Calendula officinalis]]'').<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bernhardt |first1=Peter |title=Gods and Goddesses in the Garden |date=2008 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-4266-9 |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |page=128}}</ref>

During the 19th century, it was believed that nearby plants of the species would protect a home from malaria.<ref name="Audubon" /> The flowers are the subject of [[Vincent van Gogh]]'s [[Sunflowers (Van Gogh series)|''Sunflowers'' series]] of still-life paintings.

In July 2015, [[Genetic viability|viable]] seeds were acquired from the field where [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]] crashed on a year earlier and were grown in [[tribute]] to the 15 Dutch residents of [[Hilversum]] who were killed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/17/mh17-dutch-victims-hilversum-sunflowers |title=Dutch town hard hit by MH17 disaster remembers victims with sunflowers |website=The Guardian |date=17 July 2015 |access-date=30 May 2021}}</ref> Earlier that year, [[Fairfax Media|Fairfax]] chief correspondent [[Paul McGeough]] and photographer [[Kate Geraghty]] had collected 1.5&nbsp;kg of sunflower seeds from the wreck site [[memorial|for family and friends]] of the 38 Australian victims, who aimed to give them a poignant symbol of hope.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2015/planting-hope/ |title=Planting hope |website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=2015 |access-date=30 May 2021}}</ref>

On 13 May 2021, during the National Costume competition of the [[Miss Universe 2020]] beauty pageant, [[Miss Dominican Republic]] [[Kimberly Jiménez]] wore a "Goddess of Sunflowers" costume covered in gold and yellow rhinestones<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dominicanrepubliclive.com/culture/kimberly-jimenez-parades-in-the-typical-sunflower-costume-at-the-miss-universe-pre-message-gala/|title=Kimberly Jiménez parades in the typical sunflower costume at the Miss Universe pre-message gala|date=13 May 2021}}</ref> that included several real sunflowers sewn onto the fabric.

=== Symbolism ===
The sunflower is the national flower of [[Ukraine]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-news/how-sunflowers-officially-connect-kansas-and-ukraine/|title=How sunflowers officially connect Kansas and Ukraine|date=28 February 2022}}</ref> Ukrainians used sunflower as a main source of [[cooking oil]] instead of butter or [[lard]] forbidden by the [[Orthodox Church of Ukraine|Orthodox Church]] when observing [[Lent]]. They were also planted to serve as [[Bioremediation of radioactive waste|bioremediation]] in [[Chernobyl]]. In June 1996, U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials planted sunflowers at the [[Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv Oblast|Pervomaysk]] missile base where Soviet [[Ukraine and weapons of mass destruction|nuclear weapons]] were formerly placed.<ref name="Smithsonian">{{cite magazine |last1=Mufarech |first1=Antonia |date=31 March 2022 |title=Why Sunflowers Are Ukraine's National Flower |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-sunflowers-are-ukraines-national-flower-180979850/ |magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |access-date=8 February 2023}}</ref> During the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], a video widely shared on social media showed a Ukrainian woman confronting a Russian soldier, telling the latter to "take these seeds and put them in your pockets so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here".<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 February 2022|title=Ukrainian woman offers seeds to Russian soldiers so 'sunflowers grow when they die' – video|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2022/feb/25/ukrainian-woman-sunflower-seeds-russian-soldiers-video|website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> The sunflower has since become a global symbol of resistance, unity, and hope.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hassan |first= Jennifer |date=2 March 2022 |title=The sunflower, Ukraine's national flower, is becoming a global symbol of solidarity|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/02/ukraine-sunflower-solidarity-russia-war/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

The sunflower is also the [[state flower]] of the U.S. state of [[Kansas]]<ref name="Spellenberg-2001" /><ref name="auto"/> and one of the city flowers of [[Kitakyūshū]], Japan.

During the late 19th century, the flower was used as the symbol of the [[Aesthetic Movement]].

The sunflower was chosen as the symbol of the [[Spiritualism (movement)|Spiritualist Church]], for many reasons, but mostly because of the (false) belief that the flowers turn toward the sun as "Spiritualism turns toward the light of truth". Modern Spiritualists often have art or jewelry with sunflower designs.<ref>Awtry-Smith, Marilyn J. The Symbol of Spiritualism: The Sunflower. Reprinted from the ''New Educational Course on Modern Spiritualism''. Appendix IV in ''Talking to the Other Side: A History of Modern Spiritualism and Mediumship'', ed. by Todd Jay Leonard. {{ISBN|0-595-36353-9}}.</ref>

The sunflower is often used as a symbol of [[green ideology]]. The flower is also the symbol of the [[Vegan Society]].

The sunflower is the symbol behind the [[Sunflower Movement]], a 2014 mass protest in [[Taiwan]].

The [[Hidden Disabilities Sunflower]] was first used as a visible symbol (typically worn on a lanyard) in May 2016 at [[London Gatwick Airport]]. It has since come into common usage throughout the UK and in the [[Commonwealth]] more generally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sunfieldcenter.com/the-sunflower-lanyard-for-hidden-disabilities/|title=The Sunflower Lanyard for Hidden Disabilities|first=Becca Bordner, Rachel Piper, LMSW, Morgan Nicoll|last=LLMSW|date=28 March 2022}}</ref>