Girls sit for hours on flower altars in this ancient ... the arrival of spring in Colmenar Viejo, Spain. This story appears in the May 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine.

Photograph by Daniel Ochoa de Olza, AP The participating families build and decorate altars with aromatic flowers and herbs ... passion for documenting Spain’s arcane festivals, of which ...

National flowers serve as symbolic representations ... Slovenia Carnation Represents love and is a symbol of Slovenian national identity. Spain Carnation A symbol of love and national identity ...

It’s a nod to Cristóbal Balenciaga, who was of Spanish descent – the red carnation is the national flower of Spain, as well as Monaco and Slovenia – and who referenced the flower in his ...