Tulip festival

Each year in the first two weeks of May, Canada’s Capital celebrates Tulip festival which has been taking place since 1953. It’s claimed to be the world’s largest tulip festival with several million tulips across the National Capital Region and parts of Gatineau – a city in the French side and across from the capital Ottawa.
These Tulips are actually a gift of thanks given from one of Holland royal princesses to the Canadian people in appreciation for their hospitality during World War II.

Further to the story:

The Dutch Royal family gave 100,000 bulbs to Canadians as token of thanks for being sheltered here during World War II after their country was over-run by the Germans, and for the Canadian liberation of Holland. The Royal Family stayed at Rideau hall (Government House) for the duration of the war. When Queen Juliana was pregnant with Princess Margriet, the problem of royal inheritance (requiring heirs to be born in Holland) was solved when the Canadian Parliament passed an act temporarily ceding a room in the Ottawa Civic hospital to the Dutch Crown. The first bulbs were gifted in 1945, and the first Tulip Festival was held in 1953.

As there was a long weekend last week, Victoria Day, we thought we’d go to see the exotic mosaic of colors and the beauty of these tulips.
These are some pictures I took...Enjoy!