Although there are many things to indicate the changing of the season, nothing is as potent or as beautiful as spring flowers. After having spent a chilly, white winter, most people are thrilled to see the slashes of color, and smell the heady fragrances of wild-growing blooms; not to mention the excitement of seeing your own bright garden finally starting to come to fruition. Aside from being lovely, however, spring blossoms also offer a large amount of variety that can cater to just about any taste or occasion. Though each flower has its own particular symbolism, it is not surprising to find that spring blossoms as a whole are one of the most cheerful emblems of resurrection and new beginnings.
To many people, the coming of spring flowers is such a joyous occasion that it becomes something of a celebration, and there are a number of festivals held each year to laud the vast variety of new blossoms. Such festivals include the Biltmore Festival of Flowers in Asheville, which includes a number of exciting activities, as well as a viewing of over 100,000 daffodils, tulips and hyacinths; the Callaway Gardens Spring Celebration in Georgia offers a more romantic viewing of dogwoods, daisies, mountain laurel and azaleas; the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival in Korea delivers a stunning night-time view of cherry blossoms and forsythias, amongst others; while the Feria de las Flores in Columbia is considered one of the largest spring flower events in the world, and offers enormous Silleta arrangements that can vary in shape from serene landscapes to stunning depictions of famous paintings. In addition to festivities, spring flowers are also the focus of many seasonal rituals. For instance, the celebration of the Spring Equinox represents the start of new things, and many celebrants will decorate alters with fresh blossoms in the hope of bringing good luck to their new ventures in life. The Ostara Ritual is another good example, as alters for this particular occasion are also decorated with fresh spring flora – like crocuses and bright green leaves – as they represent the newness of nature. Though many Pagan rituals include blossoms, most other religions also incorporate the fresh growth of the season into their ceremonies. One of the best known examples of this is Easter. Biblical scholars once stated that the beautiful Easter lily grew in the garden Gethsemane in Jerusalem, right at the spot where Jesus’ tears fell to the ground. Today, these lilies adorn the crosses, alters and homes of many followers during this particular holiday.
Whether you are celebrating an important holiday or ritual, or simply want to give a beautiful gift to represent the beginning of a relationship or the start of something new, spring flowers make for a fantastic option. Not only will you express all the joys of starting fresh, but you will also be giving one of the most colorful, stunning gifts around.