Why give bouquet at olympics

There have been many athletes who led their countries to victory at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics, earning both respect and a medal. Among the many things associated with winning a gold, silver, or bronze medal, few people know the significance of the bouquet of flowers that is also given to the winners. If you are watching the Tokyo Olympics then you must have noticed that the players who win are given a flower bouquet with blue, yellow and green flowers, along with the medal.

But they are more than just flowers. Generally, these crops are planted in three districts in northeast Japan - Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima - that were ravaged by the tsunami and earthquake of , as well as the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, which partly melted three reactors.

The tragic incident resulted in 20, people losing their lives in the disaster. Last year's Olympics - which are held every four years - were postponed due to the pandemic. Victory bouquets feature sunflowers from Miyagi, gentians from Iwate and eustomas from Fukushima, as well as a keepsake plush Miraitowa, the mascot of Tokyo Olympics. In the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi, parents who lost children in the disaster planted sunflowers on the hill where their children sought refuge from the tsunami.

Every year, the hill is covered in vibrant sunflowers. In Fukushima, Shimizu began planting flowers in after the vegetable crop showed levels of radiation that were unsafe for consumption.

Her nonprofit organization, Jin, planted more than 15, seedlings of the green-hued eustoma also known as lisianthus in anticipation of the Games. Iwate is known for producing more than half of all gentians in Japan.

The blue-indigo flower is the same shade of color as the Olympic and Paralympic emblems. Winning an Olympic medal is a great moment for any athlete, but did you know that the bouquet of flowers that each winner receives in his or her hands during the medal ceremony also has a special meaning?

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