When it comes to welcoming spring, we stink

Posted at 12:03 PM on March 23, 2011 by Bob Collins (11 Comments)
Filed under: Arts, Religion

Here. Print this out and hold it up against the window.

It's part of a Big Picture (Boston Globe) presentation of the festival of Holi. Hindus greet the turn of winter into spring with a splash of color in the festival.

In Turkey this week, Kurds celebrated the start of their New Year, Nowruz. It also marks the first day of spring, which occurred this week. Not that we'd know, of course.

In Valencia over the weekend, it was the last day of the 'Fallas' festival. Nobody seems to know the exact origin of the festival. But it's believed to have something to do with the Middle Ages, when artisans put out their broken artifacts and pieces of wood that they sorted during the winter, then burnt them to celebrate the spring equinox.

In Nagatoro, Saitama Prefecture, Buddhist monks welcomed spring with the traditional "hi-watari", or fire-walking ritual. Hundreds of people followed Buddhist ascetics and participated in fire walking for "purifying the mind and body" and to pray for good health and safety. And no snow.

You know what? Our customs stink.

We're snowblind today when we should be having some sort of festival to blow the whiteness clean out of our retinas.

What's the closest we got this week? A flower is expected to bloom at the Minnesota Zoo. Apparently, it's famous for its rotting, death-like smell. That's just the pick-me-up we need.

---

Comments (11)

What are the spring festivals in Norway, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Ireland, and so on? Because that's the root of Minnesota's heritage and the source of most of our traditions.

Obviously, ethnic groups from other parts of the world who now call Minnesota home probably continue their own traditions, but as far as mainstream activities, it seems crazy to think we'd spontaneously start up some colorful, extroverted events when it's not in our cultural DNA.

Now, making negative comments about everything from the snowy weather to our quiet, reserved culture... that's a Minnesota tradition I can identify with!

Posted by Greg | March 23, 2011 12:24 PM

---

I grilled and had a bon fire on Saturday, that was enough for me.

Posted by David | March 23, 2011 12:35 PM

---

C'mon people. Open yourselves to the pure possible joy of shmushing paint in peoples' face.

Posted by Bob Collins | March 23, 2011 12:52 PM

---

Bob, you've forgotten the ancient college student tradition of flying south for the Spring Break Orgy.

Posted by Jim Shapiro | March 23, 2011 1:01 PM

---

Bob, the snow is dampening all our spirits and sucking our will to live.

Posted by Josh | March 23, 2011 1:08 PM

---

Since spring doesn't really arrive until May in Minnesota, the annual May Day parade in Minneapolis is timed just right to celebrate the season.

Posted by David Wilford | March 23, 2011 1:10 PM

---

Well a big problem is that America is so diverse... how could people in Alaska celebrate spring like people in Hawaii? Or people in Minnesota celebrating like people in Texas?

I think for anything to get going there needs to be a need- which of course is money. So go ahead and organize a Hawaiian shirt snow-ball pillow fight in downtown and let me know how it goes. Otherwise I'll honor the time tested tradition of sitting inside complaining about Minnesota weather in hopes the fishing opener comes faster.

Posted by Ben Chorn | March 23, 2011 2:22 PM

---

Bob, my wife has a spring tradition of reminding me daily that her home town, Ventura, CA actually has spring, unlike our tundra climate (her words). I'm a native so I pretend I don't hear her.

Posted by Jim G | March 23, 2011 3:52 PM

---

I planted my tomato seeds on the 16th. (ok maybe this year I didn't get them in on St Josephs Day but close)

and
I believe you when you say it's stinky 'Where the Lily's Bloom'

Posted by c | March 23, 2011 5:29 PM

---

Bob,
It seems you've forgotten that the boys high school basketball tournament has started, or will start in the next few days. Traditionally in Minnesota, that triggers a snowstorm. It's a fact. Look it up. Otherwise, there's always the tradition of standing outside, eating ice cream at the local ice cream parlor! (I didn't say it was a SMART tradition; we ARE Minnesotans, after all).
Rufus

Posted by Rufus | March 23, 2011 5:34 PM

---

Here is the closest we have, from the Minneapolis MayDay celebration:http://www.flickr.com/photos/boba777/2490981339/

Posted by Aaron | March 23, 2011 8:08 PM

---

• E-mail this page
• Print this page
• Tweet this page
• Share this

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories