2010 Unfurls In India

Bouquet makers hustle to meet demand at Kolkata’s New Market New Year’s Eve. Photo: Sandy Ao.

Christmas – yes. Valentine’s Day – Oh, yes. But, no, flowers are not a big part of New Year’s festivity in the U.S., where glittery sunglasses, champagne and bottle rockets prevail.

For floraphiles, the place to be is India. “Be it for decoration or gifting, flowers are in great demand all across the city,” writes an online paper from Chennai. Express Buzz calls New Year’s blossoms “an old concept” though we don’t know how old “that continues to find favour even today with masses and classes alike.” Consequently, the flower season in India runs from mid-December all the way through mid-February.

In Chennai, roses and gladioli have been somewhat displaced by carnations, orchids, and more exotic varieties of flowers – anthriums and “even tulips.” These rarer blooms, claims florist Uttem Kumar, “express the taste and status of the sender.”

The New Market’s flower vendors stay busy from mid-December through Valentines Day, and flowers are plentiful. Photo: Sandy Ao.

Now about those New Year’s Resolutions….Kumar who owns Ferns ‘n Petals reported, “Sending flowers as seasonal and festive gifts has become a common practice because of growing awareness of fitness. No one today wants mithai [a still popular confection] or chocolates. Flowers and plants are preferred.” Have U.S. florists tried this sales pitch?

Making bouquets of glads on the sidewalk at the New Market, Kolkata, India. Photo: Sandy Ao.

Flab is laughable
When you have a daffodil or for committed dieters:

Supplant starvation with a red carnation

Sandy Ao’s photos of the New Market in Kolkata were an unexpected delight. She took her camera there New Year’s Eve and wrote, “It is unbelievable to see so many people crowding to buy flowers for the New Year that afternoon, especially when food prices are unimaginably high this winter.”

Why turn to flowers? Sandy replied, “I was thinking in my heart, perhaps everyone refreshes the hope for a new beginning. Of course, on the other hand it is always good to see the festive mood to make us forget the hardship of life once in a while.”

Sprays of purple orchids have long been a favorite in India for New Year’s. Ten years ago, most of these flowers were imported from Thailand; now they’re grown in Southern India. Photo: Sandy Ao.

While we in the U.S. may think of winter as flower-poor, the opposite is true in India. Sandy reports, “We get plenty of flowers and with many more varieties of flowers during winter seasons only.” This year, as her photographs attest, purple orchids were the best and brightest. They and many other flowers at New Market most likely were shipped in from Bangalore, though as recently as a decade ago, the orchids all came from Thailand.

Bouquets are also gaining popularity for New Years. “I am sending you few pictures of the standby bouquet-makers,” Sandy writes. “See how busily they are working on their flowers outside the market! I don’t remember that I have seen such scenes on other occasions.”

For the photographer, it’s tough both getting close enough to capture the detail and excitement and making way for commerce. Thank you, Sandy, for your ever tactful approach. And Happy New Year to All!