Human Flower Project

Monday, January 04, 2010

2010 Unfurls in India

Since wintertime is flower-rich in India, blooms are better than fireworks for the New Year’s holiday.

Bouquet makers hustle to meet demand at Kolkata’s New Market New Year’s Eve

Photo: Sandy Ao

Christmas – yes. Valentine’s Day – Oh, yes. But, no, flowers are not a big part of New Year’s festivity in the U.S., where glittery sunglasses, champagne and bottle rockets prevail.

For floraphiles, the place to be is India. “Be it for decoration or gifting, flowers are in great demand all across the city,” writes an online paper from Chennai. Express Buzz calls New Year’s blossoms “an old concept” though we don’t know how old “that continues to find favour even today with masses and classes alike.” Consequently, the flower season in India runs from mid-December all the way through mid-February.

In Chennai, roses and gladioli have been somewhat displaced by carnations, orchids, and more exotic varieties of flowers – anthriums and “even tulips.” These rarer blooms, claims florist Uttem Kumar, “express the taste and status of the sender.”

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