第10回　April Showers Bring May Flowers

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Spring has sprung!

Do your parents or grandparents tell you sayings about life or nature? When I lived in Michigan I often heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” In Michigan, there is no intense rainy season like in Japan, but in April it rains more than usual. Then, after all the rain in April, beautiful flowers bloom in May! In Japan, there’s many different kinds of flower festivals, but did you know there’s flower events in the U.S. too?

In Michigan, there is a famous flower festival called “Tulip Time.” It takes place in the town of Holland. The town was named “Holland” because long ago many Dutch people started living there. “Tulip Time” starts in the beginning of May and you can see many different colored tulips, parades, Dutch dance performances, and a carnival with lots of food and games.

There are many other famous flower events across America, but perhaps the most famous one is the “Rose Parade.” It has been held for almost 130 years and takes place right before the “Rose Bowl” American football game on New Year’s Day. During the parade, there are many beautiful and colorful parade floats made from roses. Many people spend New Year’s Day morning watching this amazing parade on their TV.

Vocabulary:

saying ことわざ
intense 激しい
rainy season 梅雨
bloom 咲く
festival 祭り
parade パレード
carnival カーニバル
perhaps たぶん
take place 起こる
parade float 山車（だし）
祭りの時に、練り物をつけて引いたり、かついだりする屋台

Written by Chase Sutherland