Flowers in the Sun

Flowers in the Sun

Tulip Mania

In April, tulip season is in full bloom all over the Netherlands, where vast tulip fields are already aglow with breathtakingly fine colors. While their beauty is undeniable, these flowers once sparked a financial crisis, Tulip mania (Tulpenmanie in Dutch) that is still marveled at today. At the height of the frenzy before the bubble burst in 1637, one tulip could be worth more than ten times the annual wages of a florist. English journalist Charles McKay reported that a Semper Augustus tulip bulb could be exchanged for five hectares ofland.

Tulip mania coincided with the development of flower cultivation by the Dutch. In the 1550s, Dutch gardeners started to cultivate species such as lilies, roses and grand camellias. Between 1550 and 1600, over 1,200 new species were marketed, including tulips. In the early 17th century, tulip bulbs were put on sale for the first time in the Netherlands. They quickly became luxury items, as the wealthy purchased the bulbs and planted them in their rear courtyards; there are still relics of these flowers in the Old Quarter of Amsterdam that runs along the canals of Keizersgacht and Herengacht.

The pursuit of tulips became even more sophisticated when hundreds of new species were created. These creations brought subtle attention to every single detail. Emanuel Sweerts, a nurseryman and painter in those days, published a variety of “encyclopedias” of famous flower species, also regarded as the world’s first flower catalogues.

Tulip mania lives on as a metaphor for any irrational speculation. It has been the subject of novels such as The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas, and in fine arts, tuli~s were featured in many famous 1 i century still-life paintings in the Netherlands. The painting “Char de fous de Flore” (“The Cart of Flower Maniacs”) in 1640 by Hendrick Pot is a noteworthy piece that illustrates the frenzy and insanity for tulips at the time.

Sakura Festivals

While tulip fields in the Netherlands proudly show off their giant color patchwork, thousands of kilometers away the Japanese are mesmerized by the cherry blossom festival in April. Deno Park in Tokyo is a huge magnet for flower lovers to revel in its cherry blossom clouds and celebrate under the shower of pink petals falling like snowflakes. About 1,100 cherry blossom trees are grown in rows in the park.

The traditional flower watching festival (called hanami) in Deno Park dates back to 1603. Every year, the Japanese government submits forecasts of the flowers’ bloom times in various regions and determines the timetable of hanami in localities nationwide.

Cherry blossoms are regarded as a symbol of transient and ill-fated beauty and closely associated with other Japanese cultural symbols. The Japanese concept of mono no aJ (translated as “the pathos of thi bears a strong influence from tl sakura philosophy: life is radial ephemeral. Cherry blossoms h, inspired literature (including ill and anime), fine arts, theatrical arts and music throughout muc Japanese history.

Lucky Lilies of the Valley

Another symbol of spring’s arri is the lily of the valley, native to many countries in the Northen Hemisphere. In France, it is considered a symbol of good luck.

In Greek mythology, lilies of th valley were created by the God Apollo. Ancient Romans paid homage to lilies of the valley in May and regarded the species as an embodiment of the flower god Flora.

According to legends in France, in 1560 when King Charles IX and his mother Catherine de Medici visited La Dome, the chevalier Louis de Girard gave him a lily of the valley bouquet for good luck. Inspired by the present, the King immediately declared this a custom and began giving the flower to all the women of his court every year. The tradition of giving lilies of the valley for good luck on May 1 gradually grew in popularity in France, especially in the areas around Paris.

At the moment, fashion houses in Paris are choosing lilies of the valley to give to their close clients in the early springtime. Christian Dior, the famous French designer, deemed lilies of the valley to be his lucky charm and adopted a variety of the flowers’ patterns into his fashion house’s luxury designs.

Flowers in the Sun
First post at: Vietnam Culture