Why use chrysanthemums to go to the grave?

the origin of chrysanthemum in China's traditional culture

chrysanthemum plays an important role in China's flower and tree culture. As early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there was a record of "Chrysanthemum in September", and Qu Yuan was the first person to compare himself with chrysanthemums. He waved ink in Lisao and described himself as "the fall of autumn chrysanthemums in the evening" and "would rather hold fragrant branches and grow old than dance with yellow leaves". The founder of the real chrysanthemum culture is Tao Yuanming in Jin Dynasty. This "chrysanthemum friend" is accompanied by chrysanthemum day and night, so that his residence is also "autumn chrysanthemum garden". He enjoys the depth of chrysanthemum, which is unparalleled throughout the ages. Meng Haoran in the Tang Dynasty described the countryside of "wait till the Mountain Holiday, I am coming again in chrysanthemum time" enjoying chrysanthemums. At the same time, Huang Chao's "Golden Flower in the City" has become the talk of modern people. In the Song Dynasty, it was the grand scene of Chongyang, where restaurants were all tied with chrysanthemums to form caves. Li Mengyang, a poet in the Ming Dynasty, "Only in this autumn, endure for chrysanthemums" and Emperor Qianlong's "Maple leaves fall green, frost flowers pile white chrysanthemums" all show that chrysanthemums are flourishing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Many chrysanthemum poems in A Dream of Red Mansions are even more important.

In these chrysanthemum chapters, there is nothing related to mourning.

The mourning meaning of chrysanthemums comes from abroad

Few people realize that using chrysanthemums to sweep graves, like using roses to express love, is actually mainly the result of "spreading western customs to the east"; And even fewer people know that chrysanthemums spread all over the world from China.

The word "chrysanthemum" appeared in European dictionaries, which was introduced from China by Dutch in business at the end of 17th century, introduced to France in 18th century, and then introduced to Latin America in the middle of 19th century ... so that it spread all over the world.

In Europe, chrysanthemums are most planted in cemeteries, because traditional European culture considers chrysanthemums to be the flowers of cemeteries. If you are a guest or give them away, you should never take them with you. In Latin America, chrysanthemums are also known as "demon flowers". This shows its position in the west.

It is also reported that China's chrysanthemums are exported to Japan in the east, creating good economic benefits. The sea is far apart, and the high cost of these preservation and transportation can actually make a lot of profits; This is because the demand for chrysanthemums in Japan is so great that the demand in Japan is in short supply. In Japan, even if an ordinary person dies, it often takes 2, to 3, chrysanthemums; What's more, the annual demand for chrysanthemums in a cemetery.

this is true abroad; In China, the hometown of chrysanthemum, why does it have such a completely different meaning?

"Confucian culture" and "Double Ninth Festival" explain the connotation of chrysanthemum

It is very different from foreign countries. Chrysanthemum has two meanings in China traditional culture, one is noble integrity; The second is good luck and longevity.

contrary to Taoism's "learning from nature", Confucian culture pays attention to "virtue" and subjectively corresponds to people's conduct with natural landscapes. Chrysanthemum is released with its frost, and the pride of the west wind and its tolerance of "this flower is more flowerless" are endowed with unyielding noble sentiments. In addition, chrysanthemum blooms in September, and "Nine" is the largest number in the unit number, which is called "Zhi number" and "Yang number". Therefore, chrysanthemum, like Chongyang, which is overlapped with double yang in September, is endowed with the meaning of auspiciousness and longevity. "Picking chrysanthemums under the east fence" is for the health care effect of eating chrysanthemums, and "seeing Nanshan leisurely" also takes care of the meaning of "longevity is better than Nanshan".

It can be seen that chrysanthemums were used to bless or appreciate the living in ancient times; Now it is used to mourn the old friend.