10 unique spring traditions from around the world
Around the world, people celebrate the end of the dismal winter weather with unique festivals and traditions. Some date back thousands of years and others are relatively new.
From exploding snowmen to flower festivals, check out how cultures around the world celebrate the start of the spring season.
On the first day of spring, handmade Marzannas are thrown into rivers and streams to signal the end of winter. (Flickr Photo/Magic Madzik)
In a tradition originating from the 16th century, people in Poland celebrate the first day of spring with dramatic fashion. Called the drowning of the Marzanna, a doll, usually made of straw, is made to symbolize the cold, dreary winter. The dolls are then paraded through the street as crowds make their way to a river or other body of water.
The decorated dolls are then tossed into the water to symbolize the end of winter's wrath.
A crowd watches as a snowman is reduced to ashes as part of the annual spring festival in Zurich. (Flickr Photo/Zürich Tourismus)
In a blunt celebration of winter's end, the Swiss use a fiery show to ring in the new season.
A snowman is burned on a stake once the first flowers begin to bloom, marking the definite end to winter's dark days. Known as the Böögg, the snowman's demise is a popular tradition dating back to the 16th century. The snowman is often stuffed with explosives.
Mar 16, 2016 12:03 pm EST The Sechseläuten is a traditional Spring holiday in Switzerland where fires are burned to banish winter. A snowman, a witch, or else a doll called 'Böögg' that is rigged to explode is placed on top of a bonfire.
It's a tradition so old, that no one can really pinpoint how or why it started. In Lanark, Scotland, children run around with balls made of crumpled paper swinging around their heads near dusk on the first of March. They run laps around the town's bell, known as the Kirk, until it rings at 6 p.m. after six months of silence during the desolate winter days.
Town officials believe it originated to rid of evil spirits before the spring season started. The "Whuppity Scoorie" name was coined in the 19th century and it remains a popular tradition to this day.
People gather to receive traditional free scrambled eggs during celebrations of “Cimburijada” or "Festival of Scrambled Eggs", in a city park on the banks of the Bosna River, in the Bosnian town of Zenica, 80 kms north of Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)
Thousands congregate in Zenica, Bosnia, for the "Festival of Scrambled Eggs" every March as spring begins. The focus is on the egg, a symbol of new life, as the new season starts. Mass amounts of scrambled eggs are cooked in huge pots and then handed out for free.
The tradition dates back a few hundred years and attracts visitors from around the country.
Satirical sculptures burn during the traditional Fallas festival in Valencia, Spain, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
The population of Valencia, Spain, triples in size during the annual Fallas (or Falles) festival every March. Three million people turn up for a week of fiery, satirical entertainment. The week begins processions to honor Saint Joseph and ends with the incineration of ninots, the paper-mâché figurines stuffed with firecrackers.
Festivalgoers often wear medieval clothing for the nonstop street party to welcome the spring season.
People on boat enjoy the blooming cherry blossoms along the Chidorigafuchi Imperial Palace moat in Tokyo, Sunday, March 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Japan's famous cherry blossoms are an internationally-known spring spectacle that take place from late March to early May across the country. People keep an intense eye on the bloom forecasts, hoping to plan Hanami at peak times.
People welcome spring by hosting parties under the trees, a tradition that has taken place for centuries.
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