For almost forty years now, it has been a tradition that on Easter, St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Rome, is decorated with all kinds of colorful flower arrangements by Dutch bulb farmers, producers of cut flowers, and a number of grower associations. Under the inspiring guidance of Piet van den Burg – the project’s chief arranger – a large group of volunteers will give shape to the floral ensemble. Every year, the entire operation is made possible by donations and financial support from a number of important private and public sponsors, brought together in the 'Stichting Bloemenpracht'. This year, of course, the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee 2025, which makes it all the more special.
Blessing the Flowers and Plants
On Tuesday, 15 April 2025, all flowers, plants, and other materials will be blessed by Monsignor Hans van den Hende, the Bishop of Rotterdam and also chairman of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference, at Keukenhof in Lisse. From 10:30 AM that morning, the gates of Keukenhof will be open to everyone who wants to be present at this ceremony. All the flowers and other supplies will then be on their way to their final destination in Vatican City, as per usual, through the efforts of Transport Company Royal Van der Slot from Noordwijkerhout.
Chief arranger Piet van der Burg, supported by a team of Dutch volunteers, will lead the entire operation of the flower decoration on St. Peter’s Square from behind the walls of the Vatican Gardens.
Easter During the Jubilee 2025
Easter is the celebration of new life and of hope. The theme of the Jubilee 2025, 'Pilgrims of Hope' (something, which we ultimately all are: People of Hope, Faith, and Love, on our way here on Earth), naturally ties in perfectly with this message of Easter. Especially in our current times, with the state of the world today, that message (the victory of life over death), also expressed in the beauty of the flowers in St. Peter’s Square, is perhaps more urgent than ever before. Both the logo of the Holy Year 2025 and its colors will be clearly recognisable in this year’s floral decorations.
The floral decorations adorn over 170 square meters of St. Peter’s Square, with dozens of arrangements around the main altar, on the steps, and on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica – from where Pope Francis will give the papal blessing 'Urbi et Orbi'.
A Colorful Display
This year, the flowers for Easter not only reflect the beauty of creation and new life, but also the deeper meaning of the Holy Year 2025 of 'Pilgrims of Hope'. The colors from the logo – red, yellow, green, and blue – come to life in a carefully composed floral display
- Blue is the color of trust, wisdom, and peace
- Green stands for new life, growth, and harmony
- Yellow is associated with joy and happiness, with the divine light – a sign of hope.
- Red symbolizes strength, passion, desire, love, and sacrifice.
This rich color scheme shines through in the stately Delphiniums and the deep blue Hydrangeas, the lush green foliage, the sunny accents of Chrysanthemums, and the many bulb flowers in spring colors from the 'Bollenstreek' (the famous Dutch Bulb region) in the velvety wavy crests of the Celosia Cristata. The soft, timeless splendour of the Avalanche roses and a large quantity of white hyacinths unite all these colors into a harmonious whole, as a silent reminder of the continuous cycle of faith, hope, and love.
Special attention is given to the main flower of this edition: the playful, graceful Ranunculus, which, with its airy petals, symbolizes the joy of the hopeful journey, will be incorporated in large numbers and in many colors in the arrangements. Together, these flowers form a powerful and symbolic greeting to the Pope – a message of unity and love, as well as hope and confidence in the future.
Publicity
On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, the entire pontifical High Mass will be broadcast live from Rome by many broadcasters across the globe. With all the broadcasts together, the floral decorations will be shown extensively. Worldwide, the pontifical Easter High Mass in Rome, which is broadcast and shared by the Vatican media, is watched by millions of people. Vatican News offers video, radio, podcasts, images, news, and audio in more than thirty languages and has seen the number of visitors and page views online grow strongly in recent years.
Flower Credits
Monarch Flowers: 5,800 stems of Ranunculus (of which 4,000 of the Butterfly variant and 1,800 of the Romance variety, various colors) – in collaboration with Coloríginz. Meijer Roses: 1,000 Avalanche+ roses (Four Seasons, color: ivory cream). Evanthia: 1,000 Celosia Cristata, series Act and Reprise. Decorum grower Van der Valk Groenesier: 1,000 twigs of Asparagus Setaceus. Delphiniumkwekerij N.G. Wigchert: 700 tall Delphiniums (in various shades of blue). Zentoo: 600 stems of Chrysanthemums (in three colors). Coloríginz: Various kinds of green/leaves and willow catkins–partnering with Monarch Flowers. Kwekerij Greeve: 300 purple/blue Hydrangeas. Bruno Nebelung Holland BV and Unex BV: around 18,000 tulips of various kinds; around 8,000 hyacinths in various colors; around 2,500 large-flowered daffodils. W. Oskam & Zn.: around 39,000 small-flowered daffodils Tête-à-Tête.
Photos courtesy of Friezenkerk, Rome, Italy. For more information: Alexander Evers, tel.: +39 340 230 3232, email: aevers@friezenkerk.nl.
