From History, Significance, to Theme, All You Need to Know

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The Canadian Tulip Festival is an annual festival held in Canada in the month of May every year at Commissioners Park in Ottawa. The festival is considered to be one of the largest tulip festivals held worldwide, claiming to depict over one million tulips and annually in attendance of over 650,000 visitors with fireworks, family entertainment, and much more. The festival lasts for 11 days, and in 2023, it will be celebrated from May 13 to May 23. This year, the Canadian Tulip Festival is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee to mark its 70th anniversary.

Canadian Tulip Festival History

The origins of the Canadian Tulip Festival are linked to some major historical events. During the Second World War, the Royal Family of the Kingdom of the Netherlands took shelter in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, where Princess Margriet Francisca was born in 1943. Princess Margriet is the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard.

Two years later, through the hard work, bravery, and great sacrifice of Canadian and other Allied soldiers, the country surrendered to the Nazis on May 5, 1945, and with it, the Netherlands was finally liberated.

In a gesture of gratitude, every year since 1945 the Dutch government sends a gift of 20,000 tulip bulbs to Canada. The annual gift of tulips represents the long-lasting friendship between Canada and the Netherlands.

Ottawa Board of Trade led the first Canadian Tulip Festival in 1953, at the recommendation of world-renowned photographer Malak Karsh.

Fact: The Netherlands exports approximately three billion tulips each year, making it the world’s largest commercial producer of tulips.

Princess Margriet will Join This Year’s Celebration

As per the official report from ctvnews.ca, Princess Margaret of the Netherlands will attend the celebrations of the Canadian Tulip Festival this year. She was born in Ottawa in 1943.

Canadian Tulip Festival 2023 Theme

Each year, an official theme is announced to shape the overall events and observation of the Tulip Festival. Last year’s theme was “Canadian Tulip Festival; Liberation 75+1 and Rembrandt and the Dutch Masters”. In 2023, the subject is yet to be announced.