Chrysanthemum pots displayed in French supermarkets have been marked with two dates: 1789 and 1919. The first date marks the arrival of the chrysanthemum in France through the port of Marseille, while the second refers to the end of World War I, which significantly influenced the flower’s role in French culture. The chrysanthemum was introduced to France in 1789 by Marseille naval captain Pierre Blancard, who brought back three varieties from China: one white, one violet, and one purple. Some sources refer to him as Pierre Blanquart. The flower gradually became established in French gardens during the 19th century as an ornamental plant. Between 1862 and 1863, Robert Fortune introduced large-flowered Japanese varieties, from which today's large pompons in pots descend. The chrysanthemum's transformation into a mourning flower began after World War I. As early as the middle of the 19th century, chrysanthemums appeared on graves, where they replaced the flame of candles. This use remained discreet, but the tradition spread in France and Belgium after the 1918 armistice. On November 1, 1919, President Raymond Poincaré placed a chrysanthemum wreath at the Père-Lachaise Cemetery. His wife carried a bouquet of roses. The accounts differ on what happened next. Several sources attribute to Poincaré a call on November 11, 1919, to flower graves or war memorials, while the Wikipedia encyclopedia mentions, in the conditional, a call by Georges Clemenceau for the first anniversary of the armistice. Without consulting archives, it is better to stick to the Père-Lachaise wreath, which has a dated origin. The choice of the chrysanthemum relates to its calendar. The autumn chrysanthemum blooms late in the year and can withstand moderate frost. Over time, its placement on graves gradually moved from November 11, the Armistice Day, to November 2, the Day of the Dead. In Asia, the chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity and immortality. In China and Japan, it is not a mourning flower but serves as an imperial emblem. In France, the same flower placed on a tomb signifies mourning, a meaning that dates back only about a century. Offering a pot of chrysanthemums to a guest in Asia would mean wishing them a long life, while in France, the same flower placed on a tomb conveys the opposite meaning. In 2023, nearly four million French households purchased plants for All Saints' Day, with the chrysanthemum representing 60% of the plants purchased on this occasion. The school holidays in France start on October 17, and All Saints' Day falls on November 1, so the market stalls are already filled from the first days of October. In 2010, about 21.3 million pots were purchased in France at the junction of October and November, roughly one pot per three inhabitants. A pot that blooms in early November is prepared long in advance, as horticulturists prepare the plants as early as spring and care for them for several months.