KSKeith Stanley

November 30, 2011

365 Days of Ikebana-Day 136

Once again Buddah’s hand is making an appearance, but this time with some added “fingers” in the form of red peppers. Buddha’s hand or fingered citron(Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis )is very fragrant and is used predominantly by the Chinese and Japanese for perfuming rooms and personal items, such as clothing.
The fruit may be given as a religious offering in Buddhist temples. According to tradition, Buddha prefers the “fingers” of the fruit to be in a position where they resemble a closed rather than open hand, as closed hands symbolize to Buddha the act of prayer. It’s know as a late autumn or early winter fruit and is generally available from November to January. It’s simply an amazing gift from nature.

X