Tale of the Fire Lily
In the early days of the Fire Nation as the people grew and learned to control the fiery gifts of the god Agni, the people divided into two cultures. The Sun Warriors and the Fire Sages. The Sun Warriors protected the people, worked with the great dragons who breathed fire and learned how to use firebending for combat, and followed the cycles of the sun to help predict the best times of planting and harvesting and fishing. The Fire Sages guided the people spiritually, taught the rites of passage and the rituals of fire within the homes, and were attuned to the ways of the volcanoes.
Both groups worked together. They shared some common skills: firebending and the mining and smithing of gold. To celebrate this union of the people in one nation, Agni presented them both with a flower symbolic of growth and prosperity and what it means to be the People of Fire, Fire Nation. The sun's rays touched the center of a day lily turning it the vibrant yellow of the gold the nation prospered with. Then the red lava of the earth, also of Agni, painted the petals hues of orange and red.
These came to represent the people. May they always blood and grow in abundance despite the harsh climates of the Fire Islands. May they remember the golden wealth bestowed upon them and share it with others. May the remember the gift of firebending, honor Fire, and remember the passionate seeds planted deep in every soul.
And thus the Fire Lily was created to represent the people of the Fire nation. Its colors were seen in all the fashions to come, especially those of the sages and royal families. Its glory was evident in the vast fields they grew on every isle of the Fire islands. At Summer Solstice they graced every home with bouquets.
The Fire Lily.
National symbolic flower of the Fire Nation.