The Meaning of Flowers – Chrysanthemum
Here is the next part in our series where we give you the meanings of flowers and what they symbolise. Here we’re going to cover the gorgeous chrysanthemum.
The chrysanthemum generally symbolises loyalty and friendship, so you can certainly buy a bunch of fresh flowers for someone you really care about. But as with most flowers there are different meanings around the world, read on to find out more.
A symbol of the sun, the Japanese consider the orderly unfolding of the chrysanthemum’s petals to represent perfection, and Confucius once suggested they be used as an object of meditation. It’s said that a single petal of this celebrated flower placed at the bottom of a wine glass will encourage a long and healthy life.
The chrysanthemum is a hugely popular flower that was first cultivated by the Chinese more than 2500 years ago. They were actually initially used as herbs, but were then first displayed in England in 1795.
Chrysanthemum is derived from ‘Chu hua’ which means ‘October flower.’ It also stands in high esteem, being the emblem on the Old Chinese Army, and in China, this gorgeous flower has always been thought of as a noble plant. It is so highly regarded that only the noble were allowed to grow chrysanthemums in their gardens, and the lower class people were strictly forbidden from doing this.
Apparently Buddhist monks first brought the chrysanthemum to Japan in around 400AD. The Emperors were so impressed, and thought so highly of the flower that they often sat on thrones made of chrysanthemums. Unbelievably, there is even a book called the ‘Chrysanthemum Throne.’ Still today, the Japanese believe that the chrysanthemum symbolises the sun, and that the way the flower opens its petals means perfection. There is even a Chrysanthemum Festival in Japan known as the Festival of Happiness.
There is another potential meaning to the flower, and this comes from the Greek language, which often leaves it’s mark on flower names. It is apparently derived from ‘chrysos’ which means gold, and ‘anthos’ which means flower.
Chrysanthemums have different meanings all over the world and in some European countries, the flower symbolises bereavement, more specifically in Italy, Belgium, Austria and France. They are only ever sent at times or sadness, especially when someone has died. But in the UK however, the chrysanthemum has a more upbeat meaning, associated with happiness and friendship.
They are one of the most popular flowers in the world.
In the Chinese culture, the chrysanthemum denotes a life of ease. Buddhists are fond of using this flower as offerings on alters. They are symbolic of powerful Yang energy, which means they attract good luck into the home.
In the Victorian language of flowers yellow chrysanthemums mean gently diminishing passionate advances. Red chrysanthemums mean a proposition or invitation to start a new relationship, while white chrysanthemums are all about telling the truth, honesty and a request for someone to give you the absolute truth. Violet chrysanthemums mean a wish for wellness.
In Eastern meditative and Ayurvedic traditions the chrysanthemum is associated with the heart chakra. It is quite common to focus on the beauty of the flower with the ultimate goal to blossom the beauty into the heart, which stimulates the heart chakra.
This flower has made its mark, and they are now cultivated all over the world, which means that new colours and shapes have are now part of the chrysanthemum family. The colours are unbelievable, from a bright and bold lime green to rich and deep reds, browns, yellows and pinks, whites and other pastel pale colours. There are even some awesome shapes like huge pom-pom shapes, a smaller rounder headed ‘kermit’ bloom, spider-shaped chrysanthemums and loads of others. There’s of course the traditional chrysanthemum we know and love, which are similar to daisies and the chrysanthemum blooms.
As you can see there certainly are many meanings associated with this beautiful flower all over the world. We hope you found this interesting to help you pick that next bunch of flowers from Arena Flowers, India.