Spring is in the air, and curious histories are popping up like posies in the park.

The Curious Rambler has a new newsletter-style format that I hope you’ll enjoy. This month, for your reading pleasure, I bring you four fascinating stories and a Curious History calendar:

Let’s dive right in…

All the spring blooms here in England got me thinking about a curious Victorian custom of sending coded messages… in flowers.

The Secret Victorian Language of Flowers: When Bouquets Carried Hidden Messages

In the Victorian era, a bouquet was rarely just a bouquet. Through the secret language of flowers, a carefully chosen arrangement could silently say so many things.

Each blooming stem had a specific meaning, so a bouquet could express love, jealousy, friendship, or even rejection without a single word being spoken. 

For example, if you were a Victorian young lady and a suitor sent you a bouquet, the first thing you would do is run for your flower dictionary so you could decode its hidden message.

Let’s say you received a bouquet with red roses, blue violets, ivy, and myrtle. What would it mean?

Your Language of Flowers book would tell you:

• Red rose = Love
• Blue violet = Faithfulness
• Ivy = Fidelity, marriage
• Myrtle = Love

But what if, instead of red roses, you received yellow roses… with some lavender and little purple Michaelmas daisies with yellow centers? That sounds lovely too – but let’s see what it means…

👉🏼 Discover what your bouquet really says. Read the full story for more hidden floral meanings

All those blooming spring flowers also mean that Easter is on the way – and it comes with some really bizarre traditions…

5 Curious Easter Traditions: Rabbits, Bells, Exploding Carts, and More

Many of the traditions surrounding Easter are surprisingly strange: Why does a rabbit deliver eggs in America? Why do church bells sprout wings and fly over France? And what could possibly explain a giant cart full of fireworks exploding in an Italian city square?

Over the years I’ve explored some of the stranger and lesser-known traditions connected with Easter. These stories show how different cultures have added their own unique twist to the holiday. 

👉🏼 Explore the Easter traditions that show just how imaginative – and sometimes downright bizarre – this spring celebration can be.

From springtime rituals to Renaissance mysteries, here’s an update on a curious bit of Florentine graffiti – I mean art…

Did Michelangelo Carve This Face in Florence? The Palazzo Vecchio Mystery

A mysterious face carved into Palazzo Vecchio has long been linked to Michelangelo. Now, a newly discovered sketch could turn this Renaissance legend into reality.

In September 2019, I wrote about a bit of “graffiti” which is carved into the front of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. Not long after my visit (and article), a researcher working in France found a possible link. I’m not sure how I missed that piece of news at the time, but it has only just come to my attention.

👉🏼 Decide for yourself – did Michelangelo carve this profile that’s been hiding in plain sight for more than five centuries?

We move on from defacing a public building to selling one. Some people will do anything, as this next strange story shows…

The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower

In 1925 a con man sold the Eiffel Tower for 100,000 francs… even though he didn’t own it. And then, a few weeks later, he tried to do it again!

Victor Lustig was sitting in his Paris hotel room reading a newspaper article about the Eiffel Tower. It was 36 years old, rusting, and in need of expensive repairs. The State was having difficulty finding the money for its upkeep, and the journalist ended his article by asking whether it might not be better to just sell it… Victor’s eyes lit up. That was it! He would sell the Eiffel Tower! Never mind that it didn’t belong to him – that was just a minor detail.

👉🏼 Discover all the facts about this enterprising man and his brazen scam.

New Format

Well, that’s it for this month. I hope you like the new format. I’m moving from sending out single posts twice per month to a monthly newsletter containing several articles. I’ll be aiming for the first Thursday of each month – so keep an eye out. 

If you enjoy strange and lesser-known stories from history, make sure you’re subscribed (at the top or bottom of this page) – and feel free to share this with a friend who might enjoy it too.

See you next month with more curious histories!

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Margo Lestz

Margo has authored seven books and writes mostly about England, France and Italy. She has a BA in Liberal Studies with International Emphasis and enjoys travel, languages, history, writing, and experiencing other cultures.

Latest posts by Margo Lestz (see all)

• Curious History Review: April 2026 – 2 April 2026
• The Secret Victorian Language of Flowers: When Bouquets Carried Hidden Messages – 2 April 2026
• Did Michelangelo Carve This Face in Florence? The Palazzo Vecchio Mystery – 17 March 2026