Even low temperatures did not stop tulip enthusiasts from celebrating National Tulip Day in Amsterdam after the cold snap. A thick fog, obscuring the sun for several days, also did not prevent the tradition of this flower, which is a symbol of the Netherlands. The annual event, signaling the start of the famous Dutch flower season, attracts thousands of visitors, ready to brave the cold to visit the Tulip Garden, specially created for this event in the Museumplein, that is "Museum Square".
Karin Berle, a childcare worker for 26 years, arrived around nine in the morning with her partner, wearing a large white scarf and ear muffs: "We want to make sure we can get in." She explained to the "Frans Press" agency that "other childcare workers who came earlier, in my previous experience, could not get through." Starting from the first hour after noon, each visitor is allowed to take no more than 20 tulips from 200 thousand flowers, distributed throughout the garden, "first come - first served".
The head of the association of Dutch tulip farmers and one of the main organizers of the festival, Arian Smit, said: "The moment when the garden opens its doors and people start to run inside, is my favorite." Since September of last year, 50 employees have been preparing for the annual event, starting with the first bloom and ending with the composition of bouquets in glass greenhouses in Andijk, in northern Netherlands. Representing flowers at the festival, farmer Paul Schuten (45 years) confirmed that he has not yet tired of his work.
In the midst of the flowers in his greenhouse, Schuten, passing his hand over the leaves of purple tulips, known as "barbille hit", added: "As you can see, I really love it." The park is adorned with tulips of the same color, forming exactly 750, as a symbol of the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam's birth. It is a very special year due to the overlap of "National Tulip Day and 750th anniversary" of the city, as noted by Ivan (26 years), who arrived on a plane from Milan for this event.
While the first visitors were trying to select from the selected garden, to find refuge from the cold, reminiscent of a sculpture at the Stedelijk Museum for contemporary art, all the nearby meters of the festival indicated that the museum does not take responsibility for the leftover bouquets of tulips. For those who could not enter the garden due to the large influx of people, it may remain as a lost position, since the tulip season will continue in the Netherlands until April.
