Why is the chrysanthemum significant to the French ?

Question

Why is the chrysanthemum significant to the French ?

Answer 1

Because November 2 is Day of the Dead, which the French actually celebrate on All Saints' Day (November 1) because it is a bank holiday.



That day people remember and honor their dead and go to the cemetaries to put flowers on the graves of their family members. Because the chrysanthemum is one of the few flowers to bloom in the fall, it has become the flower of choice.



Since the flower is now associated with the dead, it should not be offered on other occasions, like if you're invited to a dinner party for instance.



Edit: Also one quarter of all chrysanthemums sold in France are produced in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France, so I guess it's even more obvious there. By the way, neither bread nor flowers are sold at a steady rate, bakers and florists are free to set their own prices ;-))