Vatican celebrates 40 years of Dutch floral tradition as thousands of flowers from the Netherlands adorn St. Peter’s Square for Easter 2026.
Newsroom (30/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) Beneath the spring sunlight of St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican’s Easter celebration unfolds in a blaze of color and fragrance, continuing a beloved 40-year tradition that began under Saint John Paul II. This year’s Holy Week — the first of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate — transforms the sacred square into a living garden, with thousands of flowers from the Netherlands carpeting the heart of the Catholic world.
Before making their journey to Rome, the flowers take part in a special rite at the famous Keukenhof flower park, often called “the garden of Europe.” In a ceremony overseen by Monsignor Johannes Harmannes Jozefus van den Hende, president of the Episcopal Conference of the Netherlands, the blooms are blessed — a symbolic gesture bridging the devotion of Dutch florists with the grandeur of the Vatican.
A Gift Rooted in History
The tradition traces its origin to 1986, when Pope John Paul II visited Utrecht and was so moved by the beauty of Dutch flowers that they were first used to adorn St. Peter’s Square for the beatification of the Dutch priest Titus Brandsma. What began as a single gesture of beauty became a recurring Easter offering from the Netherlands to Rome, coordinated by the Dutch Bishops’ Conference and the Bloemenpracht Rome foundation.
This year’s dazzling floral spectacle is once again led by Piet van der Burg, chief decorator and long-time steward of the tradition, who works closely with the Vatican Gardens and Environment Service. Together, they ensure that every tulip, daffodil, and hyacinth finds its perfect place in the grand mosaic of faith and color.
A Symphony of Flowers
The 2026 display includes 65,000 tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, complemented by more than 200 violets and 7,800 other blossoms such as roses and chrysanthemums. Among the arrangements are 600 branches of airy orchids, 80 azaleas, and 600 willow branches, alongside eucalyptus and lush green foliage — each contributing a distinct texture and symbol of renewal.
On Palm Sunday, the floral offering is joined by 120 palms and 120,000 olive branches, donated by the National Association of Oil Cities from Italy’s Umbria Region. Their delegation, led by President Michele Sonnessa and Director Antonio Balenzano, took part in the liturgical ceremonies emphasizing peace and unity.
Tradition deepens further with the “palmurelli,” hand-braided small palm decorations crafted in Sanremo by the company Grazia Errico. Blessed on March 24 in the Cathedral of San Siro by Monsignor Antonio Arnaldi, they were then carried to Rome, continuing an artisanal practice handed down through generations.
A Living Testament of Faith and Craft
As the Vatican prepares for the Easter Vigil inside St. Peter’s Basilica, workers from the Gardens and Environment Service, joined by floral design professors from the Naklo Biotechnology Center and the Novo Mesto Biotechnology and Tourism Center in Slovenia, assemble arrangements that blend art and reverence. Each flower is placed not only for aesthetic harmony but as an offering of devotion — a fragrant dialogue between faith and creation.
After four decades, the Dutch floral gift remains a potent symbol of continuity, cooperation, and gratitude within the global Church. In the first Easter of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy, the blooms stretching across St. Peter’s Square reaffirm that beauty — like faith itself — transcends borders and endures through generations.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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