Spring Customs Around the
World
by Jane S. Roseen
As spring reaches those of us in the
Northern hemisphere, the world is beginning anew. The spring rains are
bringing forth new growth all around us, and the temperature is finally
creeping warmer virtually every day. It's no wonder, then, that Spring
is considered to be a prime time for celebration throughout the world.
This time of year brings the Chinese
celebration of Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese Lunar New
Year. Chinese people often put up long rolls of red paper with black
writing and pictures of fierce-looking creatures on either side of their
front door. The red paper rolls usually contain lines of poetry
transcribed by a calligrapher and the Gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei, who are
believed to protect people from devils and evil spirits
The spring Pakistani festival of Basant
is held in the ancient eastern city of Lahore. This festival is marked
by a litany of kite-flying, rooftop soirees, garden parties and
equestrian events. Locals and tourists alike don glamorous clothes, in
the yellow and green of spring flowers blooming citywide, to bid
farewell to the frosts and fogs of winter and usher in spring.
The Vernal Equinox is considered one of
the most important days of spring, as it marks the first day of spring
when day and night are each approximately 12 hours in length. However,
as the month of April draws to a close and winter is falling further and
further away, the joy of May Day (May 1st) is celebrated in many
different ways.
In Germany, the celebration of
Walpurgisnacht on April 30th and May 1st celebrates the release of
winter's hold on the land and the oncoming joy of summer. Children
celebrate in a similar fashion to Halloween, playing pranks on
unsuspecting victims as midnight draws near. Many people hold witches'
fires to ward off the evil spirits of winter. And on May 1st, it is
believed that the earth spirits like sprites and fairies emerge to bring
the land safely to summer. People celebrate with great feasts of food
and drink as the look forward to the coming of summer.
During the times of ancient Rome, spring
was fêted with the Feast of Floralia. This celebration marked the
flowering of the grains and the bounty of the animals as spring
continued. It's actually believed that the egg became an important
symbol during this time period, as it noted both the egg that brought
forth life and the egg that nourished people. As this festival evolved,
people began creating eggs out of many materials, including chocolate,
as gifts for their loved ones. Young matrons carried these eggs with
them in baskets throughout the Spring, trying to determine the possible
gender of a future child.
In the British Isles, many people
celebrate the Festival of Beltane on May Day. Lighting fires was
customary at this time, and traditionally a Beltane fire (very similar
to the witches' fires of Germany) was composed of the nine sacred woods
of the Celts. When daylight comes, people celebrate by dancing and
singing around a maypole tied with colorful streamers or ribbons.
May Day never was celebrated as much in
the United States as it is in Great Britain because of the Puritans'
discouragement of the day as a pagan holiday. However, many American
communities still celebrate this time with May queens and the hanging of
May baskets filled with flowers and chocolates on the doorknobs of
friends and family. cherry blossoms washington d.c. One spring ritual
that always graces the news in the United States is the blooming of the
cherry trees in Washington D.C. These beautiful trees that line the
Tidal Basin in the capital of the United States were a gift from Japan
over 100 years ago and bloom every spring and bring with them a site
that every American should see at least once, a sweet smell to the air
that not even modern pollution can dim, and a warmth of the knowledge
that spring has indeed arrived. The blooming of these trees is always
eagerly awaited by both locals and tourists alike, and the few benches
along the route are often taken in the wee hours of the morning by
sightseers waking up with a bit of coffee or hot chocolate from a
vending cart.
About the Author
Author Bio Jane S. Roseen is the Owner
and President of Harmony Sweets, an international gourmet chocolate
shop. Harmony Sweets' mission focuses on individual consumers purchasing
gourmet chocolates from around the world for their friends and
relatives, as well as corporate gift-giving. Gourmet chocolate gift
baskets and personalized chocolates are also available.
Website: http://www.harmonysweets.com
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