Los Angeles is a big, constantly evolving metropolis. Various activities, events, concerts, festivals and more are hosted on an ongoing schedule in the city and county. Today we will speak about one of the most spectacular festivals of the metropolis, the Tournament of Roses, AKA the Rose Parade. Learn more about the history of this event on the pages of los-angeles.pro with a link to forbes.kz.
The New Year’s Day Rose Parade, a long-standing history
Los Angeles hosts a wide variety of festivals every year. However, there is one fest that Los Angeles residents greatly cherish. That’s the Rose Parade. This event has a long-standing history behind it and that’s where its value and charm lie.
The Rose Parade started its history in Pasadena in 1890. It is traditionally held on January 1. This event was designed to attract customers to buy real estate. They said that for the New Year, some people have snow, but we have sunshine and a sea of flowers. Those who initiated the first flower parade were private Valley Hunt Club members. They strived to spread the word to many people about their paradise, where flowers bloom and the sun shines even in the dead of winter.
Horse-drawn carriages decorated with flowers were prepared for the first Rose Parade. There were also competitions in footraces, polo and tug of war. About two thousand people attended the event. As for the name, it was Professor Holder who came up with the name Rose Parade after seeing an abundance of flowers at the event and suggested that the festival be called that.
Interestingly enough, except for World War II in 1942, 1943 and 1945 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the tradition of the Rose Parade has been continuous. Traditionally, the event is held annually on January 1st. However, if the date falls on a Sunday, the parade is organized on January 2nd, Monday. This rule was instituted in 1893 to ensure the festival would not interfere with the Sunday church services.
It’s worth noting that many Pasadena residents moved to this particular city through the beautiful flower parade. The majority take pride in the fact that such a magical event is hosted in their area every year. Furthermore, the Rose Parade is considered the oldest festival in all of California, as there are no similar events with such a long history in the entire state.
How it all comes together: a flower sea with an incredible atmosphere
Work on the flower parade continues throughout the year because it is a large-scale festival that requires time, effort, patience and a high level of organization. The organizers start building custom floats in April, followed by their test drive in June and July. But in winter, in the last week of December, volunteers keep working from morning till night to decorate the floats with flowers. It’s all done so the audience can see the marvelous action and enjoy the unique atmosphere.
For instance, in 2023, the event was held on January 2. It was 8 degrees Celsius outside, with a gorgeous flower fragrance drifting through the air. All over the world, millions of people watched the Tournament of Roses via the Internet and television.
In 2023, the theme of the flower parade was Turning the Corner, which is about getting a head start on life after the pandemic.
Such is the fascinating history of hosting the marvelous Tournament of Roses Parade. What a nice thing to see that the tradition of organizing this magical action has survived into the modern period. Los Angeles residents and visitors can watch a fantastic flower parade once a year and enjoy its unique atmosphere. While other states or countries are snowy and cold, California enjoys sunshine and the flower fragrance.
We hope you found our material interesting and drew the appropriate conclusions.
Have you ever been to the Rose Parade?