New Year’s Floral Traditions
Happy New Year! As we said on Christmas Day, we at Floralife hope you are enjoying a safe and happy New Year’s Day relaxing with family and friends, and not necessarily reading floral industry blogs! If you ARE reading this on New Year’s Day, take a moment to check out some New Year’s floral traditions from around the world!
Costa Rica: New Year’s floral traditions from Costa Rica include collecting the wildflower Santa Lucia, or Ageratum, a pastel-blue flower from the daisy family. People give bouquets to their friends and family to bring prosperity. Recipients often break off a sprig from the bouquet to keep in their wallets.
Japan: Japan’s New Year’s floral traditions include the Kadomatsu. This is an arrangement of pine and bamboo, placed in pairs at the front door of the home to welcome the harvest spirits. After the New Year’s celebrations have passed, the Kadomatsu is burned to release the spirits.
Scotland: An important part of traditional Scottish New Year’s celebrations, or Hogmanay, is “First Footing,” or being first through the door of a friend’s home after midnight. There are many ways to bring luck into the home, and one of them is to present your host with a bouquet of White Heather, a favorite Scottish wildflower.
Brazil: Coastal Brazil also has unique New Year’s floral traditions. To those who observe pre-colonial religious tradition, Yamanja is the Afro-Brazilian Goddess of the Sea. Tons of cut flowers – some tossed into the ocean, others carried by the boatful – are offered to Yamanja to bring about energy and strength in the New Year.
USA: American New Year’s floral traditions mean one thing: the Tournament of Roses! The Rose Parade features over 40 parade floats, covered in fresh-cut roses, which travel the 5.5-mile route in front of 700,000 attendees and over 80 million viewers on TV.
There’s your roundup of New Year’s floral traditions from around the world. While we’re at it, here’s a tradition you should start, if you haven’t already: Floralife! We have a wide variety of products to help keep your cut flowers fresher, more beautiful and longer-lasting. Happy New Year from Floralife!