Canadian Tulip Festival (13/05)

One of the most magnificent holidays of spring — Tulip Festival in Canada (English). Canadian Tulip Festival, fr. Festival canadien des tulipes, Netherlands. Canadees Festival van de Tulp) — starts in Ottawa every year in the first half of May and lasts about two weeks.

Every year in May, the Canadian capital is buried in a multi-colored sea of tulips, which, according to a long-standing tradition, are sent as gifts to Canada by grateful Dutch people. This tradition appeared after World War II, during which Canada provided shelter to the royal house of the Netherlands, forced to flee from the fascist regime. Queen Margriet was born here on the North American continent. However, in order to become heir to the throne, she had to be born in her native country. The Canadian government, by special decree, kindly declared the room in the Ottawa hospital in which the princess was born to be the territory of the Netherlands.

Returning to her homeland in 1945, Princess Juliana of Holland sent 100 thousand tulip bulbs as a gift to Ottawa. The gift was made not only in gratitude for the asylum, but also in recognition of the role played by the Canadian liberators of Holland. Since then, tulips have become a symbol of international friendship and the first sign of real spring in Ottawa. The first festival was held in Canada in 1953. To this day, 20 thousand bulbs come from Holland every year.

During the tulip flowering period, Ottawa turns into the flower capital of the world, despite being one of the coldest capitals. More than 1.5 million tourists come to the country every year to see the flowering of more than 5 million tulips.

The festival begins with a traditional Tulip Ball and a fashion show, where models demonstrate clothes made, of course, from tulips. The Tulip Ball has recently been held in a unique location, the – mirror gazebo. Traditionally, it is held in the spirit of cabaret, where guests are invited to see performances by famous dance groups and taste international cuisine with the best examples of champagne.

The Canadian Tulip Festival will not leave anyone indifferent (Photo: Hallgerd, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

During the festival, all guests of the Canadian capital can attend specially designed tours of tulip flowering sites in Ottawa and its suburbs. The most beautiful part of the route is called The Loop — loop. Inside the semicircle, surrounded by a sea of tulips of all colors, are Ottawa's most recognizable buildings: Parliament House, Peace Tower, Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel-Castle and the American Embassy Building. At this time, exhibitions are held in the park on Parliament Hill where artisans sell their creations.

The Rideau Canal in Ottawa hosts a flotilla of flowers — is a beautiful sight that makes you forget that, in fact, this canal is the longest ice path not only in Canada, but also in the world, for a significant part of the year. In winter, citizens skate here, and a traditional ice sculpture competition is also held here.

And during the festival, many thousands of tulips blooming along the embankment of the Rideau Canal will be added to the multimillion-dollar exotic mosaic of color and beauty in the parks and squares of the Canadian capital, delighting the eyes of its residents and numerous guests from all over the world.

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