Tulip Festivals

Keukenhof Park also known as the Garden of Europe

Srinagar Tulip Festival, India, in early April for 7 days. It is the largest tulip garden in Asia. The valley of Kashmir is very picturesque during the spring time, when over 2 million tulips bloom overlooking world famous Dal Lake. The festival features cultural events with Kashmiri folk songs and traditional cuisine, and sale of local crafts. It is one of the most popular flower festivals in India.

Tulip has its origins in Persia (Iran) and was introduced in Europe in the 17^th century. Keukenhof Park near Lisse, Netherlands, is the world’s largest flower park known for tulips, with about 7 million flowers, opened from late March to mid May.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Northwest Washington State throughout the April. The annual festival started in 1984 from 3 days and grew to 30 days to insure blooming tulips over 300 acres during the festival since the shorter festival sometimes missed the blooming. The festival features art shows, gala celebrations, concerts, tours of local shellfish and cheese operations.

Canadian Tulip Festival is the largest tulip festival in the world during the three weekends in May (in Ottawa and Gatineau). After WWII, Canada received thousands of tulip bulbs from Netherlands. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, became famous for its tulips and organized the first Canadian Tulip Festival in 1953. The festival is full of large displays of tulips throughout the city, music performances and international cuisine. The largest concentration of tulips is at the Commissioners Park on the shores of Dow’s Lake. This seasonal festival celebrates the tulip as the symbol of beauty and friendship.

Tulip Festival or Tulip Fest is held in Albany, NY, every spring at Washington Park on May 6-8, 2011 Mother's Day weekend. On July 1, 1948, tulip became Albany's official flower. The first Tulip Fest was celebrated on May 14, 1949. The festival features over 140 different kinds of tulips, fine arts exhibits, live music and entertainment and also celebrating Albany's Dutch heritage.

Cherry Blossom Festivals

Hanami is a cherry blossom viewing in Japan, March-May. Families, friends, and co-workers enjoy picnic celebrations, eating variety of foods, with music, dancing and karaoke under flowering trees. The blooming it temporary, so viewing trees bloom, reminds people of a temporary view of life, which is very popular in Japanese culture. The blossom forecast is announced each year, because it lasts only for about two weeks.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC is a celebration of friendship between US and Japan. In 1912 US received a gift of the cherry trees from Japan and in 1935 the first Cherry Blossom Festival was held. The festival lasts for two weeks to accommodate many activities, starting the last Saturday in March and ending in April. The event includes The Blossom Kite Festival, rakugo – storytelling, kimono (Japanese traditional garment) fashion show, dance, singing, martial arts, and rugby union tournament. The festival starts with a Family Day on the first Saturday, followed by fireworks next Saturday, and ends with a parade on the last Saturday. The festival is a great way to welcome the arrival of spring.

International Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Macon, Georgia, at the end of March. Macon is known as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World with 300,000 cherry trees.

Museum and its beginnings

Museum started as a private collection of wealthy individuals to display the arts they acquired. Later objects of artistic, historical and scientific importance were displayed and made available for public viewing.

The Louvre Museum (above) in Paris, France, is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. It was opened to the public in 1793 after the French Revolution and granted access to all people. It is a home to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, John the Baptist and Virgin of the Rocks.

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, is one of the most important museums in the world. Originally, it was built as a palace with offices for Florentine magistrates. Later it became a collection place of the Medici family for displaying paintings and sculptures. They commissioned a lot of artists. In 1765, The Uffizi Gallery was officially opened to the public. It is home to Botticelli’s two most famous painting of Primavera and The Birth of Venus.

The British Museum in London opened to the public in 1759 and is known as a ‘universal museum’ for its variety of collections. It is also one of the largest museums in the world. Home to some Roman and Greek sculptures, and Michelangelo’s Epifania – black chalk drawing.

The Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland, was established in 1796 by Princess Izabela Czartoryski. She believed that the art collections should be displayed for public view, not only the rich aristocrats. It was to educate all people in culture. It is home to da Vinci’s painting of Lady with an Ermine. Once home to Raphael’s painting of Portrait of a Young Man, which has been missing since 1945.