Limited-edition tulip available to commemorate 75th Anniversary Liberation of the Netherlands

To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, the Canadian Tulip Festival, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the National Capital Commission have currently launched the Liberation75 Commemorative Planting Campaign.

The campaign aims to sell 1.1 million tulips to honour the 1.1 million Canadians who served in the Second World War.

As part of the campaign, Canadians are encouraged to purchase a bag of 15 Liberation75 Tulip Bulbs for $15. For every bag sold, a dollar will go towards the Royal Canadian Legion. The rest of the funds will support the Canadian Tulip Festival and its annual symbolic commemoration of the role Canada played in the Second World War.

In the final months of the Second World War, Canadian soldiers braved against the Nazi soldiers to liberate the Netherlands in 1945.

Specifically, the First Canadian Army then cleared northern and western Netherlands, allowing food and other relief to reach millions of people.

In addition, airdrops of food were coordinated by the Royal Canadian Air Force over Nazi-occupied Dutch territory in Operation Manna, according to the Liberation75 website.

To thank the Canadians, the Dutch people wrote grateful messages on their rooftops.

Princess Juliana, who came to Canada with her family, then gifted 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canadians for their role in liberating the Dutch and providing refuge for her family during the war.

Every year since the Netherlands has presented Canada with 20,000 bulbs every year and in 1953, the first-ever Canadian Tulip Festival was held.

The limited-edition flowers are an early/mid blooming tulip and are coming directly from Holland and should be bloom to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands is May 5, 2020.

According to the Liberation75 website, the flower is, “A bright orange tulip with crown-shaped petals. The Liberation75 is an early-mid blooming, hearty flower, that displays your proud support of the Canadian Armed Forces while honouring the fallen Canadians of the Liberation of the Netherlands.”

The flower should be planted in the fall before the ground freezes so that they can bloom in Spring 2020.

Not only will purchasers be a part of history, but, with the purchase of a bag, they can also enter to win the grand prize of two round-trip Economy class tickets to Amsterdam from anywhere in Canada from KLM, plus $2000 cash.

Additionally, Canadians are encouraged to share their planting images on Facebook or Instagram using hashtag #PlantingLib75 to receive an additional entry to win.

People that share their blooming images using hashtag #BloomingLib75 will receive a total of three entries to win.

The final shipment of the LIberation75 Tulip will arrive at the end of October. Place your order today here.