The medieval world had no concept of the individual. It was all communal. So when they did memorial services, each person took their flower and stacked it on top of the pile. They had these huge communal mounds of flowers.
The modern world rediscovered the individual and kind of suppressed the community. Everything was 'I.' We had individual vases. We took our individual flowers and put them in individual vases.
So what do postmoderns do? These kids want the communal again, but they can't give up the individual. So they're returning to stacking their flowers, but they want to be individuals at the same time. I'll put my individual bundle on the communal pile.

Leonard Sweet quoted by Rick Lawrence. SECOND CENTURY YOUTH MINISTRY.