Why are chrysanthemums often used to express mourning?

The meaning of chrysanthemum in ancient times

As early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there were records of "chrysanthemums blooming in September", and Qu Yuan, the great romantic poet in my country, was the first person to compare himself to chrysanthemum. In his "Li Sao", he described himself as "eating the fallen petals of autumn chrysanthemums in the evening" and "I would rather grow old on the fragrant branches than follow the yellow leaves dancing in the east wind." The true founder of chrysanthemum culture is Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty. This "chrysanthemum friend" was accompanied by chrysanthemums day and night so that his residence was also "filled with autumn chrysanthemums". His understanding of chrysanthemums was unmatched from ancient times to the present. His "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence and leisurely seeing the southern mountains" made chrysanthemum a hermit among flowers. Meng Haoran of the Tang Dynasty described the chrysanthemum-viewing scene in the countryside: "Wait until the Double Ninth Festival, and come back to enjoy the chrysanthemums." His contemporary Huang Chao's "The whole city is covered in golden armor" has become a topic of conversation among people today. In the Song Dynasty, the grand scene of Double Ninth Festival was "all the wine shops tied their doors into caves with chrysanthemums." The Ming Dynasty poet Li Mengyang's "Only in this autumn, can I bear to see the chrysanthemums come" and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty's "The maple leaves fall, and the frost flowers pile up on the white chrysanthemums" both show that the chrysanthemum culture was becoming more and more popular during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The many chrysanthemum poems in "Dream of the Red Chamber" are even more heart-wrenching. From these chrysanthemum allusions, we can clearly see that ancient poets loved chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemum, with its proud character of blooming in the frost and resistant to the west wind and its demeanor of "no other flowers will bloom after this flower has bloomed", is endowed with the noble sentiment of steadfastness and unyieldingness, and has won people's admiration and praise.

Chrysanthemum also represents good luck and longevity in Chinese history. Chrysanthemum blooms in September. "Nine" is the largest number among single digits and is called the "supreme number" and the "yang number". Therefore, chrysanthemum, like the Double Ninth Festival, which represents the overlapping of nine yangs, is given the meaning of good luck and longevity. "Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence" is to take advantage of the health-promoting effects of chrysanthemums for health, and "leisurely seeing the Southern Mountains" also echoes the meaning of "live as long as the Southern Mountains".

The Origin and Development of the Modern Meaning of Chrysanthemum

In ancient times, chrysanthemums were used to bless or praise the living. So why has chrysanthemum become a funeral flower now, used to mourn the deceased?

Using chrysanthemums to sweep graves is like using roses to express love. In fact, it is mainly the result of "Western customs spreading to the East." The word "chrysanthemum" appeared in European dictionaries around the end of the 17th century when the Dutch introduced it from my country during their business. Chrysanthemum was introduced to France in the 18th century, and then to Latin America in the mid-19th century... and then spread all over the world. In Europe, chrysanthemums are most commonly grown in cemeteries, because traditional European culture believes that chrysanthemums are the flowers of cemeteries. If you are visiting or giving gifts to others, you must never bring this flower with you. In Latin America, chrysanthemum is also known as the "magic flower". This shows its status in the West. With the invasion of Western culture, the meaning of chrysanthemum in the West was also introduced to China. The mourning meaning of chrysanthemum gradually replaced its meaning of hermit flower and became a well-known cemetery flower.