What it doesn't mean
It is an imperial emblem in Japan, a grave flower for the days of the dead in France and Belgium, and in Greenaway's 1884 list a red one simply says 'I love'.
It means 'golden flower', from Greek khrysos, 'gold', and anthemon, 'flower'.
What it really means
If you want to see how much a flower's meaning depends on where you are standing, start with the chrysanthemum.
In Victorian England it could be a love letter. Kate Greenaway's illustrated Language of Flowers (1884), now free on Project Gutenberg, lists the red chrysanthemum as "I love", the white as "Truth" and the yellow as "Slighted love". The Chinese chrysanthemum gets one of the book's best entries: "Cheerfulness under adversity".
In Japan the chrysanthemum is the emblem of the imperial family. It has served as the family's crest in practice since the thirteenth century and formally since 1926, and a stylised sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum is still the imperial crest, used much like a coat of arms, on Japanese passports among other places.
In France and Belgium the same flower belongs to the dead. Chrysanthemums are the flower people take to cemeteries for All Saints' and All Souls' days at the start of November. They were already appearing on graves in the mid-nineteenth century, but the custom spread widely after the armistice of 1918, when families went to decorate soldiers' graves in peacetime for the first time in years.
None of these meanings is the "real" one. The historian Beverly Seaton shows that even the Victorian flower books disagreed from book to book and country to country, and a chrysanthemum makes the point across whole cultures. The name, at least, is fixed: it comes from the Greek for "golden flower".
Where it comes from
Greek — gold
Greek — flower
From Latin chrysanthemum, from Greek khrysanthemon, 'golden flower' (originally a marigold). English has used it since the 1550s.
- 13th century
The chrysanthemum becomes the de facto crest of the Japanese imperial family; the crest is formalised in 1926.
- 1884
Greenaway lists the red chrysanthemum as 'I love', the white as 'Truth', the yellow as 'Slighted love' and the Chinese chrysanthemum as 'Cheerfulness under adversity'.
- After 1918
In France and Belgium the custom of putting chrysanthemums on graves for All Saints' and All Souls' spreads widely after the First World War.
In real life
- In Greenaway's list a red chrysanthemum says 'I love', which is not what most French hosts would read into one.
- She took a pot of chrysanthemums to the cemetery on 1 November, as her grandmother always had.
- The sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum on a Japanese passport cover is the imperial crest.
Questions
Q01What does a chrysanthemum mean?
It depends on colour and place. In Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (1884), red is 'I love', white is 'Truth' and yellow is 'Slighted love'. In Japan the chrysanthemum is the imperial emblem; in France and Belgium it is the flower for graves at the start of November.
Q02Why are chrysanthemums put on graves?
In France and Belgium chrysanthemums are the flower for decorating graves for All Saints' and All Souls' days. They appeared on graves from the mid-19th century, and the custom spread widely after the 1918 armistice.
Q03Is the chrysanthemum the flower of Japan?
It is the crest of the Japanese imperial family, used in practice since the 13th century and formally from 1926, and it appears on Japanese passports.
Q04Is it rude to give chrysanthemums as a gift?
In some countries it can be read as a gift for the dead, so it is worth knowing the custom where you are. In Greenaway's old English list, a red one meant 'I love'.
Sources
- Kate Greenaway (illustrator), Language of Flowers (Routledge, 1884) — Project Gutenberg.
- chrysanthemum (etymology) — Online Etymology Dictionary.
- Imperial crest of Japan — Wikipedia.
- Chrysanthème: fleur de la Toussaint — Wikipédia (French).
- Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History — University of Virginia Press.