Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-25
Floral Carr1iValS
BY Frederic j. HaSkin

4asion. 1--WE haven't all had the good
fortune to be ladies, but we We all peen
babies" The baby parade at Aspury
Park is indeed great eVent-an oG-
casion when all grown-ups are merely
! wall flowers"
The flower festival has reached even
Jones street Probably Jones street
has an unfamiliar sound but, situated
between Fourth and Blocker streets
west of Sixth avenue. in New YORK
city. it houses 1900 souls and bears the
reputation of having but two seashos--
winter and summer. But last year u
new order was ushered in, and IN the
middle of May spring festlVal was
held. Here Robin Hood and his merry
men held sway, the brown drones ca
vorted to their hearts content and the
daffodis and fairies danced and wound
the May pole. And, above all. there
were actual flowers wreaths ana
wands. Beside the festivities OF can
fornia il might fade into insignificance
but to Jones street is was as magnifi-
cent as a carnival of the gods.
japan with it's flower calendar is
always observing some FESTIVAL or
other. The coming of the cherry bios
som is the call for ode writing and
the carnival spirit. The chrysanthe-
mum Is the national emblem. The
Dango- zaka in Toxic Is the florists
section. and there the annual chrysan-
thcmum show is held. This usually
consists of acres of magnificent dos
SONS. with a few historical and legend
airy episodes pictured i'm the blooms,
but after the Russo-Japanese war all
this was changed, and the show ground
assumed the aspect Of a huge battle
field. Everywhere were set pieces
showing Iife-size soldiers engaged in
mortal combat with their enemies. the
show continued for two months, the
flowers being kept in perfect condition
by being planted in bamboo skeletons
and watcred each night.
While it was not exactly flower
festival. the Feast of Liberty held in
Beirut and other cities in Turkey in
1908. in celebration of the victory of
the young Turks, was the most re-
markable demonstration in the history
of that country. For three days the
people of the cities went wild. Free
DOM was the cry on every lip. the
streets and houses were gayly deco
rated with bunting and flowers, and
inscriptions of a startling character
we're to be seen in conspicuous places.
For the first time in thirty-one years
public gatherings were permitted. and
everywhere there we're to be found
groups of Turks. each with its own
speechmaker. Enemy Toasted with
enemy. and the word freedom was
hurled about as If 1t had been just
coined.
In the province of Quebec and In
Montreal especially the procession of
Corpus Christi Is an event of cons'd-
| cradle Importance This was first be-
gun by Pope Urban in Italy about 1262
because of a miracle that was per-
formed. Since that time II has become
the great open-air celebration of tho
Roman Catholic church. The parade
is made up Of various congregations.
religious societies, children from the
orphan asylums. little girls dressed
for their first communion. nuns. theo-
Iogians and monks. The highest digni-
taries Of the church, one of whom
carries the golden ostcnsorium con-
tanning the host. walk under a gorgeous
canopy. At tho end Of the march is
reposoir embowered in mass of flow
( ers and green.
| Hawaii is a land Of fair skies and
| gorgeous flowers. IL is so favored I'm
| this respect that Honolulu may he said
to have a perpetual flower festival.
/ Tho visitor upon arriving or depart
/ inc IS decorated with wrcaths of brill
| liant blossoms. The native dancing
girls wear garlands instead Of Jewels.
| The landscape. sometimes hidden be-
| hind a veil OF clouds, flashes with
many-hued resplendence when the view
! is cleared Some day, when the paths
of the ocean become more freuuented
| by those In quest OF the novel and the
| beautiful. il win not he surprising
| ,f Honolulu becomes the scene of the
/ greatest flower carnival in the world.
| tt has only to realize upon it's natu-
raj advantages 10 produce the premier
| celebration Of this kind.