It is a traditional custom for Guangdong people to buy Chinese New Year flowers during Spring Festival. Various flowers have their own distinctive meanings. Below are some flowers and the messages they convey.

Kumquat: Good Luck and Fortune

Kumquats are small citrus fruits like small tangerines. The Chinese characters for kumquat are Jin Ju. Ju has a similar pronunciation to Ji, which means good luck in Chinese. Therefore, this fruit is most favored by people. Before the Chinese New Year's Eve, many citizens will go to the flower market to buy a pot of kumquat with a wish for good luck in the new year.

Chrysanthemum: Longevity and Integrity

Chrysanthemum, orchid, plum blossom and bamboo are always the subjects appreciated and praised by literati. The chrysanthemum symbolizes integrity. During the Spring Festival, people will buy such colors as yellow, red, white, pink, etc, representing an abundant and colorful life.

Peach Blossoms: Promising and Popularity

Peach Blossoms are always linked to love. Having a taohuayun means having romantic encounters. People believe that peach blossoms can help people find "the one".

Silver Willow: Fortune and Wealth

The Chinese characters for Silver Willow are Yin Liu. Liu has a similar pronunciation to Lou in Cantonese which means houses while Yin means money in Chinese. Therefore, Silver Willow or Yin Liu symbolizes fortune and wealth. Plus, this plant is easy to grow and beautiful, which makes it favored by many people.

Narcissus: Respect and Auspiciousness

The refreshing and elegant aroma of narcissus implies elegance and good luck. It is a hot sale among all the Spring Festival blooms every year. Many people come to buy it before it blooms and when it turns warm in the first month of the lunar year, the narcissus produces flowers, releasing a mild fragrance in the home.

Butterfly Orchid: Happiness

Red butterfly orchid has the meaning of fortune. The flower's butterfly shape gives the plant its name. When a gentle breeze blows, the butterfly orchid will give off a mild aroma of fragrance, bringing a festive, beautiful and fragrant new year.

Lily: Everything Goes Well as You Wish

In Chinese culture, the lily to new couples is symbolic of "a harmonious union lasting one hundred years". During the Spring Festival, it gives good wishes for a happy family and marriage.

Author | May

Revisor | Linn, Eddie

Source | CCTV News