Spring is Here! Festivals, Flowers & Butterflies Abound

Spring is a wonderful time of the year. It is not too hot or too cold! After the very chill and cold winters, the light sun warmth is most welcomed in many parts of the world. The spring is also a time when nature is beautiful. We see colorful flowers in bloom and pretty butterflies hovering around. Also, many countries celebrate some of their key festivals to mark the arrival of spring. When is spring? India enjoys spring between February and March. In fact, across the globe, the northern hemisphere experiences spring during the months of February, March and April. But here is something interesting. When the northern hemisphere has the spring season, the southern hemisphere has autumn. So for example, New Zealand and Australia receive the spring season around September and October. Spring Festivals Now, no matter which hemisphere it is, spring is a lovely time of the year with fun festivals.   Can you think of a spring festival in India? Yes, we have Basant Panchami and Holi. On Basant Panchami, we pray towards Goddess Saraswati and use the colour Yellow in abundance. Yellow is filled with home decorations, food, sweets and clothes. In fact, one can notice sunflowers and marigolds in abundance too. Holi, the festival of colors, takes place during the spring months. We splash lots of organic colours and water to welcome spring-summer. And it is time to gift and buy new clothes, as the new weather sets in. Slightly similar is the Songkran festival in Thailand which is celebrated with a lot of splashing of water instead of colors. The festival also marks the New Year of Thailand. Another New Year celebration is, of course, the Chinese New Year. It also falls in the spring season. People buy new clothes, shoes, accessories and change their home decorations too. Bright and beautiful dragon processions with dance and music are the most popular way of celebration. Try and watch it in photos and videos if you haven’t already. They are a lot of fun! In Japan the Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated in spring. And can you guess why? Well, it is in spring that pretty flowers bloom all over the country. The colourful butterflies are seen the most. People gather outdoors for picnics and parties and enjoy the weather and the view of the splendid flowers and greenery. The most common flower seen during this time of the year in Japan is the pinkish sakura. The Sechselauten is celebrated in Switzerland. Now during the winters, Switzerland and many parts of Europe get really very cold and are covered in many places with ice and snow. So when the spring season arrives, there is a lot of happiness around. A huge snowman called Boogg is made and then burnt. There are also parades, feasts, gatherings, etc. to celebrate the coming of the spring season. In Bosnia spring is celebrated by enjoying some yum food. The Festival of Scrambled Eggs or Cimburijada is where scrambled eggs are made and then distributed for free to everyone in the crowd or passing by. The egg is a symbol of the beginning of new life. The spring season also in a way means the beginning of sunshine and warmth, which is very important for life and especially for growing crops. Blooming flowers and pretty butterflies Nature is at its beautiful best during springs. The flowers begin to bloom and there is a lot of color, fragrance and freshness all around. You can usually find butterflies fluttering over the pretty flowers and insects buzzing over the plants. Would you like to know some of the flowers that bloom during the spring? The daffodils in many colors, such as pink, golden yellow, orange and more look gorgeous and are easily available in many flower shops too. The delicate white lilies with their sweet smell are one of the favorite flowers in India. You might see a lot of women put the flower in their hair or bun too. Roses, of course, bloom around the year, but it is during spring that you can see many different varieties of the flower. White, pink and even yellow roses bloom during the spring season. The purple color pretty flowers of lilac also bloom their best in the spring. They look splendid in gardens and when put in a vase. There are many shades and varieties of lilacs and all of them can mesmerize your heart. They look amazing with colourful and yellow gold butterflies surrounding them. And who can forget the tulips? These spring flowers are so beautiful that it might be hard to choose a single one for your bouquet! Tulips are widely grown in The Netherlands, and in India, they are seen in Kashmir and in the Mughal Gardens in Delhi. There are also many flowers that you might locally find in your neighborhood or gardens. The ‘palaash’ is common in Jharkhand, the Jacaranda or Blue Gulmohar can be seen in Gurgaon and Bangaluru, Amaltas the bright yellow flowers can be seen on trees in Delhi and also in forests of some southern states of India. Another common flower is the Gulmohar, the bright red flowers that are found in gardens of many cities. And when there are so many sweet-smelling and colorful flowers can butterflies be too far behind? A lot of butterflies, such as the tailed blue and pearl crescents are first seen during the spring season. Of course, you can find butterflies dancing around flowers around your homes or gardens, but you can actually visit the Butterfly Park if you live around Delhi at Lodhi Garden. Some of the butterflies that you might see around are the plain tiger, lemon pansy, grass jewel which is also the smallest butterfly in the world! It is hard to find such a rare view of all species of butterflies like we have in the spring. And yes, the butterflies continue to be around through summer as well.     Fun activities during spring Spring is the best time to get outside and soak in some sun. The weather is just perfect for picnics and outdoor sports. So get a little creative and plan a garden party with your friends? Take a huge mattress and spread it out in your neighborhood park or garden and bring along some snacks and games. Chat up with your friends and play badminton, catch, etc. too. Another interesting activity during springs is exploring nature around you. You will slowly see the leaves on trees looking brighter and fresher. Colorful flowers and different plants will steadily start to bloom and appear. Take your notebook, your parents’ camera phone and walk around in your locality discovering these wonderful sights of nature. Or you can also visit the city’s many gardens and parks to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the beauty of spring. Also, you might notice a lot more nests on trees too! Birds also love the spring season and it is one of the best nesting periods for them. Do not miss some of the cities, where migratory birds come from many of the western countries to bask in the winters and spring of India. And don’t forget to keep an eye on the butterflies. Follow them around as they jump from one flower to another. Butterflies may stay around longer but the combination of flowers and butterflies is the best during the spring. Indoor activities We all know that because of COVID we spend more time indoors than outdoors. But being indoors doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy the spring! And of course, you can spend time on your terrace or verandah too or watch the natural beauty through binoculars from your own window. Yet, there is quite a bit you can do at home too. Spring is a great time to garden or grow plants. You can plant a seed (you can order it online too) and watch it become taller and healthier as the days pass. You can make lots of arts and crafts related to the spring season, such as kites, flower cut-outs, butterfly cut-outs, and stick in your room or leaf bookmarks. And yes, do you know there are so many books that have stories centered on spring? You should definitely lay your hands on some and give them a thorough read. The spring is a short season that lasts for a couple of months before the hot sunny summers make way. So make the best use of this wonderful time of the year and one of our most favorite seasons for sure. Enjoy this year’s bright, warm and colorful spring as much as you can!