Holland Michigan

Tulip Time History
Who would have predicted that the “Best Small Town Festival” in America, with over 500,000 people in attendance, grew out of a Woman’s Literary Club meeting in 1927? There, Miss Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at Holland High School, suggested that Holland adopt the tulip as its official flower and celebrate it with a festival.

The idea caught on, and the next year the City Council purchased 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands to plant in city parks and other areas. Bulbs were also available for Holland residents to purchase at one cent each.
In the spring of 1929 thousands of tulips bloomed, and so did the long history of this annual festival. By the mid 1930’s, Tulip Time was nationally known. Big name stars like Dorothy Lamour, Pat O’Brien, and George Raft entertained at the festival.

Except for a brief hiatus during World War II, Tulip Time has continued to thrive. 1947 was a banner year, with the celebration of Holland’s Centennial and the strengthening of our Dutch ties. The Netherlands was grateful for the aid our citizens had provded following the war. In fact, the people of Amsterdam presented the City with the street organ that now entertains Windmill Island visitors. 1947 was also the first year of a long tradition: a visit from the governor of Michigan leading the street scrubbing ceremonies.

Another big year for Tulip Time was 1976. Holland received tremendous publicity through its float entry in the Tournament of Roses Parade. And that year, the Tulip Time festival climaxed with the appearance of the President, West Michigan’s own Gerald R. Ford, in the Parade of Bands.
Each year, Tulip Time brings back time-honored traditions and enhances the festival with new ones. We invite you to share in this wonderful celebration of our heritage.

Klompen Dance Tidbits
• In 1933 High school gym teacher Ethel Perry trained twelve students to perform Dutch folk dances. The dancers were called the “Dutch Villagers” and performed to the tune of “Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?” 
• Originally the dancers’ costumes were delft blue with white organdy caps and aprons. Today’s dancers wear costumes patterned after the traditional dress of the Dutch provinces.
• Each costume is handmade by local seamstresses and carefully inspected before it can be worn in the Klompen Dance performances.

• There are over 1,700 Klompen Dancers, including 675 alumni and community dancers.

History of the Tulip
Surprisingly, the Netherlands was not the first place to grow the tulip. As early as 1,000 AD, the Turks were cultivating tulips; their source was the mountainous region of central Asia that borders Russia and China. Many believe the flower was named for its resemblance to turbans worn in the Middle East. “Turban” in Latin becomes “tulipa.”
Dutch tulip history began in 1593 when botanist Carolus Clusius discovered tulips growing in Vienna, and began cultivating them in the Netherlands. A group of “enterprising” Dutchmen stole a portion of Clusius’ collection and cultivated the seeds for sale.

Initially, the tulip was a rarity only the very wealthy could afford. By 1624 the price of one Rembrandt-type tulip reached the equivalent of $1,500. The time between 1634 and 1637, commonly known as “Tulipmania,” is often compared to the Stock Market surge of the 1920’s. In 1637, tulip trading crashed, leaving many of the rich instantly impoverished.

Despite these challenges, the Dutch have managed to maintain a commercial devotion to the tulip. Today the Netherlands produces three billion tulip bulbs each year, two billion of which are exported. The U.S. is the top importer of tulip bulbs.