March 22, 2013

Tell-Tale Tulips

This March, it's snowy here. On March the 8th, here, in Russia, it's an official holiday. And it's like Mother's Day in the USA or Great Britain. Tradition goes that women are offered tulips. They sell them in every flower shop and kiosk. Red, white, pink, yellow... Mimosa and roses can hardly beat tulips this day. Tulips are really the celebrity.  
This year, they are very much in the spirit of Sylvia Plath. Tulips are like wild tigers in their cages. Staring from inside into the snowy street. Any flower would look exotic in the land of snow. It's like the black tulip of Alexandre Dumas among other tulips. It's outstanding. Somewhat challenging. 

The only day when flower shops are crowded by men. Then crispy snow under their feet like a crispy tulip wrapper. 
For one day maybe, Russia looks like Holland - the tulip land.Tulips in the land of snow are as exotic as snow in the land of tulips... I imagine Dutch fields of blossoming tulips covered with snow... Taken unawares, suddenly in the middle of the spring, tulips look like delicious desserts in a white cold glaze that would melt on your tongue and lips. But it rarely snows there when they blossom.