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Gifts · France

Skip chrysanthemums and even numbers when gifting flowers

When bringing flowers as a gift, avoid chrysanthemums (associated with funerals and cemetery visits) and avoid giving an even number of stems.

FranceGiftsstrictUpdated September 2, 2026

Choose an odd number of stems, and steer clear of chrysanthemums specifically, most florists in France will already assume you don’t want them for a gift bouquet unless you ask.

Bring flowers already arranged rather than wrapped raw, and hand them over unwrapped or loosely wrapped, arriving with a giant floral cellophane cone reads as overly formal for a casual dinner invitation.

  • Red carnations are also off-limits — they signal ill will rather than affection.
  • Yellow flowers carry their own bad association: infidelity, so skip those for anything romantic.

Why it matters

Chrysanthemums are specifically tied to Toussaint (All Saints' Day) grave visits in French culture, giving them as a birthday gift can genuinely read as wishing someone dead, not just an odd floral choice. Even-numbered bouquets are also traditionally associated with funerals; odd numbers are the safe default (avoid 13 too). Chrysanthemums aren't the only color to sidestep: red carnations carry a message of ill will in French floral tradition, and yellow flowers are associated with infidelity, both worth avoiding for the same reason as chrysanthemums.

Source: A simple guide to gift giving etiquette in France – Annie André

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