What Not To Send?

A short guide for sending flowers to Chinese

Living in a multi-cultural environment, it is not unusual to send flowers and gifts to foreign companies and individuals. Without the knowledge and awareness of cultural differences, a good gesture can easily be misinterpreted as offensive. For instance the colour white might mean purity in most western societies but it signifies death in the East.

General Rules of Thumb
When choosing flowers and plants, the Chinese have their own set of symbolism and associations based on some very basic cultural principles:

1. Colour, number and shape:
Warm colours generally associate with good fortune, while red symbolises luck and ultimate joy, yellow and gold represent money and wealth, pink and red are related to romance. On the opposite, cool colours refer to misfortune and death, white and blue particularly are mainly used in funerals. However, never write a card or messages in red pen, it is not polite nor respectful. Even numbers are always better than odd ones, and each number due to its pronunciation has an associated meaning:
1=first class, the best
2=easy
3=alive
4=dead
5=no or never
6=all the way
7=indefinite, normally related to the Buddhist religion
8=rich
9=long living
10=perfect
After the number ten, the first number works as a qualifier: any two digit numbers starting with 1 means ‘will certainly be’, for example: 11=will certainly be first class, 12= will certainly be easy, 13=will certainly be alive, etc. The list can go on, however, that should be sufficient for flower arrangement purposes.

2. Pronunciation and characteristic:
The pronunciation of flower’s name can work as pun. However, it is difficult for non Chinese speakers to understand and master this skill.

Evergreen symbolises longevity; climbing plant can mean very clingy. Wild plant has a derogatory connation and should never be used a gift to women as it means ‘tart’.

3. Fung Shui traditions:
As living flowers and plants represent new life and growth, they can encourage positive energy. The basic Fung Shui techniques are interrelated to the above mentioned basic cultural principles, such as colour, number, shape and pronunciation. For examples, red flowers brings romance; a jade plant or money tree brings money and wealth; and never send spiky plants such as a cactus as gift.

Ideas for Special Occasions
In eastern culture, because of the hot weather, fruits play an important role in everyday life, it is a good gift idea for all occasions, therefore, fruit basket is a must in every flower shop. It is also a tradition to add fruit in floristry design.
For good events like weddings, new business openings or Chinese New Year, always incorporate red and gold colours in the design and introduce some Chinese traditional ornaments like red envelopes and artificial crackers.

1. Chinese New Year: Plum blossom and Gladiolus can be found in every household. Kumquat fruit means golden opportunity. People who are looking for love will buy some peach blossoms to take home. Fruit baskets will sell like hot cakes.

2. Wedding: The dominant colours for traditional Chinese weddings are red and gold, and western style is white, sometimes, customers will have both styles in one wedding, i.e. western reception and Chinese banquet. Popular flowers are peony, orchid, lotus, narcissus and rose. Newly wed couples will put a pomegranate under their pillows to increase their chance of having a baby.

3. Funeral: White or very light yellow chrysanthemum can be used, black and blue colour themes can be added. There are also two complete different styles of funeral, Chinese and western.

4. New business: Red Chinese Rose; pomegranate, and bamboo as the rings on the stems represents growth.

5. House warming: Asparagus fern; a decorative vase meaning steady growth.

6. Valentine, mother’s day and Christmas: these are the western influences and can be more creative.

7. Visiting friend: fruit basket, a basket of apples is an ideal gift when visiting friends. When paying a visit to the hospital, taking a fruit basket is more common than a bunch of flowers.

Meanings of some common flowers

Bamboo: Growth and enlightenment, each segment representing a step in the path of enlightenment and growth.
Carnations: Associated with marriage, signifying fertility and abundance.
Chrysanthemum: A life of ease; ideal flowers for offering on alters; good luck and long life.
Hydrangea: Love, gratitude and enlightenment.
Lotus: Represents four virtues in Buddhism:-scent, purity, softness and loveliness; enlightenment; purity.
Narcissus: Translates as water fairy meaning spring; new life; also hidden talent; ideal gift for people starting a new career.
Orchid: Love and fertility.
Peony: Spring and renewed life.