Flower Culture and Taboos Around the World

Flowers are a universal gift, but the way they are read differs from country to country. A flower of celebration in one place can become a flower of mourning in another. Here are the customs worth knowing when you send flowers to a friend abroad, or to family in another culture.

Cultures that count the stems

In Japan, the numbers 4 and 9 sound like death (shi) and suffering (ku), so they are avoided in stem counts. In China, 4 is shunned for the same reason. In the West, by contrast, the aesthetic of odd-numbered bunches matters more than the count itself.

Set Flowyric's region to Japan or China and the recommended bouquets steer around these number customs automatically.

The two faces of white flowers

In the West, white is the color of purity and weddings; in East Asia, it is also the color of funerals. In China especially, sending a bouquet of nothing but white flowers to a celebration is a mistake to avoid. Even when using white flowers, it is safer to mix in colored ones and lower the proportion.

Europe's chrysanthemum, East Asia's chrysanthemum

In France, Germany, and Italy, the chrysanthemum is a flower of mourning, laid at graves. There is a custom of visiting family graves with pots of chrysanthemums on All Saints' Day (November 1st), so offering one in celebration can cause a bewildering misunderstanding.

In Korea, China, and Japan, by contrast, the chrysanthemum stands for the mood of autumn, for sincerity and long life, and is natural in everyday gifts. The temperature of the same flower changes this much from continent to continent.

Flowers that stand for a nation

Including a national flower is also a warm greeting to that culture. Korea's Rose of Sharon (Unwavering devotion), Japan's Cherry Blossom (A pure heart), the Plum Blossom (Noble integrity) and tree peony beloved in China, the Iris of the French royal house (Good news), Germany's Cornflower (Delicate happiness) — a gift that honors the recipient's roots.

Flowyric's region setting

Choose a region in Flowyric and that country's culture rules (number taboos, the share of white flowers, chrysanthemum exclusion) are applied to the recommended bouquets automatically, and the signature bouquets loved in that country appear in the list. Tour the flower cultures of seven countries as if traveling through them.