The Flower Festival of Madeira

Madeira is surrounded by the Atlantic — the blue waves visible almost from any place on the island. Madeira Island is warm, sunny and mild. It’s known as the “Pearl of the Atlantic” and the “Garden of the Atlantic”. Madeira is filled with colors and smiles. It’s considered as the Island of Flowers with its subtropical climate best for the growth of various species of flowers in the world. All over the island, there are plenty of festivals throughout the year. Perhaps the most famous festival is the Flower Festival. After the first signs of the arrival of spring, the local people will dress up and go out into the streets, dancing and singing in happiness. The festival is all about flowers. The streets are decorated with colorful flowers. Thousands of people are all dressed in costumes and crowns decorated with flowers. They lose themselves in the beautiful sea of flowers. It’s an opportunity to discover the beauty of the paradise island. The most colorful event is opened with hundreds of young children participating in a colorful and entertaining ceremony to remind us of the need for hope and goodwill in the world. The children in a long queue build the Wall of Hope, a wall built up entirely of flowers to wish for peace. More than 1,000 doves will be released into the air — a symbol also for peace. With flower displays in shop windows, flower exhibitions and carpets of flowers on the streets, the island turns into a floating garden at this time. Besides the grand parade of flowers, concerts, traditional songs and dances and the classic car show are also held during the festival.