tradition has it that keeping one of those in the house, keeps your marriage happy and stuff.
so often they were given as a wedding gift, probably by the mother of the bride.
i used to have one, too. not sure what happened to it, mind. you can pour boiling water over them and they open up much quicker then, emm.
i have never actually grown one though, and it would be interesting to see what they look like when growing/flowering/whatevering ;)
svea