Summer is a strange time. In the winter it takes so long, make plans. Then suddenly the spring starts and is completely invisible to the seedling-planting routine. It seems that only just appeared green nose Crocus, and then once – and now ready to bloom the first buds of roses. And summer comes, which, as well as spring, tends to end rapidly.
Are there roses in your flower garden? Then it’s time to celebrate: June 1 – rose Day. For the sake of truth it is worth saying that rose Day is not an official holiday. But in many countries where roses are grown, it is celebrated, although at different times.
Rosalias
The rose festival has a long tradition. In Ancient Rome there were Rosalia – days of remembrance of the dead. On this day in April-may (when roses bloomed), chants and special rituals commemorated the memory of dead relatives and friends, decorated the tombs with garlands of roses.
With the expansion of the Roman Empire, the custom spread to other countries. Some researchers believe that the Slavic feast of remembrance of the dead — rusalia (in may-June, when mermaids, according to legend, come out of the water and can contact people), also has roots in the ancient Roman Rosalia. The word “rusalia” is just a Slavic transliteration of the Latin Rosalia.
Day of the roses (Dies rosae, the rose festival, lat.) – day of remembrance of the dead, accounted for the Trinity in the southern countries, and in the North – on Petrov day (June 29). That is, the period of the most intense flowering roses. Among the believers there is a belief that the Apostle Peter scatters roses on the ground, inviting the righteous to Paradise. Continuation of this ancient holiday can be considered modern festivals of roses.
Bulgarian rose
Roses, more precisely, rose oil – one of the symbols of Bulgaria. It is the Bulgarian rose oil, obtained by hydrodistillation from a variety of rosehip Damascus Rosa Damascus Mill, growing in the Valley of roses on the southern slopes of Stara Planina, is the world standard of essential rose oil.
Other rose Festival: Portland, USA, Oregon
Another rose Festival will be held from may 26 to June 10 this year in Portland, Oregon. Portland is considered the capital of roses – there are three rose gardens, among them – Rose Test Garden, which is considered the largest collection of roses in the world. Roses grow in Portland and just on the streets and in parks, and yet – an uncountable number of small private gardens in which roses, roses, roses…
Rose Test Garden, the international test rose garden. Here grow and tested more than 10,000 roses of almost 650 varieties. Breeders from all over the world annually donate their new creations to the garden. Most of the flowers presented in the garden collection can be bought in the store, open at the rose garden.
The rose parade in Portland has been an annual event since 1907. Now this event is officially called “the Great flower parade”. In addition to the floral splendor in the festival program – children’s parade, song contests, sports, aviation show, and of course – a beauty contest, the choice of the Queen of the festival.
Pink New year
Although Portland and has the nickname “City of roses”, but the idea of the festival residents borrowed in another American city. In Pasadena, California, also held a Parade of roses. It is the largest parade in California, attracting more than a million participants annually. The Grand spectacle is broadcast live.
The parade in Pasadena takes place on January 1 and is part of the American new Year holidays.
Rose Of Hildesheim
If you could not get to any of the festivals of roses, you can always look at the rose Hildesheim – it is not going anywhere. They say that the rose Bush grows in its place – at the apse of St. Mary in Hildesheim is a thousand years old.
Legend has it that king Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, hunted in 815. Carried away by the pursuit of a deer, the king broke away from his companions and got lost. Nobody heard, as the king had blown a hunting horn and shouting. Realizing the futility of his attempts to find the way, Louis took off the crucifix and the Shrine with the Holy relics, hung the relics on a wild rose Bush and began to pray to the virgin for salvation.
Finally tired, the king fell asleep under a Bush. And when he awoke in the morning from the cries of his servants, he saw that the Bush was covered with flowers in the winter, and the chain on which hung the cross and cancer, grew into the branches of a pink Bush. Louis decided that it was a sign, and in gratitude for his miraculous salvation ordered to build a chapel on this site, and after the Cathedral of St. Mary. The city of Hildesheim Appeared around the Cathedral.
Whether this rose was really seen during his miraculous rescue by Louis the Pious, of course, is not known. But according to the Chronicles, we can say that the age of the Bush is not less than four hundred years – it is mentioned.
During the war, in 1945, the Cathedral was destroyed during the bombing, and the rose Bush was badly damaged in a fire. But its roots are preserved under the rubble, and in the early summer of 1945 there were at least 20 new shoots.
Today the thousand-year-old rose of Hildesheim is the oldest rose Bush. No garden owner can boast of such a relic, but any roses – a truly Royal garden decoration.
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