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We came across our first pretty, bright yellow and dancing daffodil yesterday afternoon during our walk on the campus. We crouched beside it to have a better look since it was the first time we were seeing a real one...unfortunately, daffodils do not grow in Mauritius.
Commonly known by its English name as ‘Daffodil’, the flower’s botanic name is ‘Narcissus’.
When you hear ‘Narcissus’ you can’t help but recall the Greek myth about a young and vain man called Narcissus who was so obsessed with his reflection as he kneeled and gazed into a lake that he fell into the water and drowned. And that at the place where young Narcissus died, sprang the ‘Narcissus’ plant. This is the reason why the Narcissus flower is often perceived as a symbol of vanity. However, in China, the same flower is a symbol of wealth and good fortune.
Even if not considered as the queen of flowers, daffodils inspired poets like William Wordsworth and artists like Vincent Van Gogh. It is also the national flower of Wales.
In New Zealand, daffodils are admired by many and daffodils shows are held throughout the North and South Islands by the National Daffodil Society which was founded in 1926. In Hamilton, the shows will be held at Hamilton Gardens on Saturday 19th September and on Saturday 3rd October from 12 pm to 4 pm.
The Daffodil Day will be celebrated in New Zealand on the 28th of August 2009. If you are thinking that the Daffodil Day is some kind of flower show, then you are mistaken. Daffodil Day is the Cancer Society of New Zealand’s annual flagship event and one of the most important fundraising and awareness campaigns in the country. Now, if you are asking yourself about the link between daffodil and cancer, well, according to the Cancer Society of New Zealand, the daffodil is one of the first flowers of spring, whose bright yellow blooms remind us of the joys the new season will bring. It represents the hope there is for the 1 in 3 New Zealanders affected by cancer.
So, as winter is waving goodbye and daffodils are poking their heads out of the soil, do take your camera when you set off for a walk on the campus. You’ll be pleasantly amazed by blooms of all colours and shapes.
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