Why Chrysanthemums Are Commonly Used in Worship
Today, I am sharing some plant experience related to floral etiquette, specifically focusing on chrysanthemums. Why are chrysanthemums commonly used in worship? This is a nice bit of knowledge worth collecting!
The profound origin of chrysanthemums in Chinese traditional culture. Chrysanthemums hold a significant position in the floral culture of China. As early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there were records of "the glory of chrysanthemums in September." Qu Yuan was the first to compare himself to chrysanthemums, describing in his "Li Sao" how he "ate the fallen petals of autumn chrysanthemums" and preferred to "age with fragrance on the branch rather than dance with yellow leaves in the east wind." The true founder of chrysanthemum culture was Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty, who lived with chrysanthemums day and night, with his residence surrounded by "autumn chrysanthemums filling the garden." His deep appreciation for chrysanthemums is unmatched throughout history. In the Tang Dynasty, Meng Haoran depicted the rural scene of enjoying chrysanthemums on Double Ninth Festival with "waiting for the Double Ninth Festival to come and enjoy chrysanthemums again." His contemporary, Huang Chao, described the city as "filled with golden armor." In the Song Dynasty, it was a grand scene where "all wine shops were decorated with chrysanthemums to form doorways." The Ming Dynasty poet Li Mengyang wrote "only in the autumn color, enduring for chrysanthemums," and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty mentioned "maple leaves and green wu, frost flowers pile up white chrysanthemums," showing the flourishing trend of chrysanthemums in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The numerous poems about chrysanthemums in "Dream of the Red Chamber" are particularly touching.
In these chapters about chrysanthemums, there is not a single mention related to mourning.
The mourning meaning of chrysanthemums comes from abroad
Few people realize that using chrysanthemums to sweep tombs, much like using roses to express love, is mainly the result of "Western customs spreading to the East"; even fewer know that chrysanthemums originated in China and spread all over the world.
The term "chrysanthemum" appeared in European dictionaries around the end of the 17th century when Dutch merchants introduced it from our country, then it spread to France in the 18th century, and in the mid-19th century, it was introduced to Latin America... eventually spreading globally.
In Europe, the place where chrysanthemums are most cultivated is in cemeteries, as traditional European culture considers chrysanthemums the flower of the cemetery. It is absolutely forbidden to carry this flower when visiting or sending to someone. In Latin America, chrysanthemums are also known as "demon flowers," showing their status in the West.
There are also reports that Chinese chrysanthemums are exported in large quantities to neighboring Japan, creating a good economic benefit. Despite the high costs of preservation and transportation across the sea, it still manages to make a substantial profit; this is due to Japan's high demand for chrysanthemums, which exceeds domestic supply. In Japan, even an ordinary person's funeral often requires tens of thousands of chrysanthemum branches, let alone the annual demand for chrysanthemums in a cemetery.
Abroad, it is like this; but in the native land of chrysanthemums, China, why does it have such a completely different meaning?
Different from abroad, chrysanthemums in Chinese traditional culture have two meanings: one is noble character; the other is auspicious longevity.
Opposite to the Taoist "following nature," Confucian culture emphasizes "comparing virtue," subjectively using natural landscapes to correspond with human character. Chrysanthemums are endowed with the noble sentiment of resilience and integrity due to their blooming in frost and not falling in the west wind, as well as their attitude of "no flowers after this one." Additionally, chrysanthemums bloom in September, and "nine" is the largest single-digit number, known as "the highest number," "the yang number," so chrysanthemums, like the Double Ninth Festival with double nine叠加, are given the meaning of auspiciousness and longevity. "Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence" is for the health benefits of eating chrysanthemums, and "calmly seeing the southern mountains" also corresponds to the meaning of "longevity comparable to the southern mountains."
Clearly, in ancient times, chrysanthemums were used to bless or praise the living; now, they are used to mourn the deceased.
I hope that the above sharing of the green plant experience of why chrysanthemums are commonly used in worship can bring you some help in life!