Edhat Staff
Fiesta flower girls (Photo: Fritz Olenberger)
By edhat staff
Santa Barbara’s biggest festival, Old Spanish Days Fiesta, officially kicks off next week and it’s preparing for a new tradition.
The adorable Fiesta Flower Girls are the official greeters of the Old Spanish Days events. The tradition called for young ladies between the ages of 6 and 12 to wear matching colorful dresses and hand out flowers to guests and represent the community.
The Flower Girls participate in the children’s parade and horse parade, opening night ceremony at the Old Mission, and even visit convalescent homes and greet visitors at the airport and train station.
This year, Old Spanish Days La Presidenta Barbara Carroll announced boys will now be included renaming the flower girls to “Los Niños de las Flores.”
This year’s theme is the “Spirit of Community.” Old Spanish Days takes place from July 31 to August 4. Learn more about the specific events here.
This is awesome!
Glad to hear boys will be included. I like calling them Los Ninos de las Flores. The Flower Girls are one of our endearing old traditions that hasn’t changed over the years. I believe they started in 1948.
Love it! All kids should be included.
Ahhh. From the headline I had my fingers crossed for content being “Only biodegradable materials will be allowed in cascarones.”
Comments like these seem to be designed to irritate people. It seems far-fetched, but could Russian Trolls have discovered Edhat?
“Should not be forced” means just that and only that.My nephews, ages 5/7/7/9, would never willingly join the flower tossers. They will happily join in on cracking people over the head with cascarones. They get great joy doing that to unsuspecting “victims.”
1:19 – Ok, fine, no one will be forced to be a flower tosser. But I don’t understand why you even worry about that? What a weird thing to say, and then to defend. I’m sure you’re nephews will be just fine, no need to worry…..
Kids “cracking people over the head with cascarones . . . unsuspecting “victims.” Jail is too good for these poorly bred delinquents. Deft penalty if they use glitter.
I object — if it’s new, it can’t be a tradition. A tradition has to have been happening for a while.
Did anyone bother to ask the boys and girls what they want? For a parent to pressure a boy into to doing this could subject him to embarrassment and ridicule amounting to emotional child abuse by that parent.
SBWATCHER – where are you and Babycakes getting the idea that parents are “pressuring” or “forcing” boys to do this? Why are you so upset about little boys being able to pass out flowers?
yes. humor.
I’m going old school OG this Fiesta and in lieu of flowers, will be giving the natives what we gave them when we first invaded – syphilis, smallpox and the Spanish Flu.
PARVOPUP. Really missed the mark with that remark. Unfunny.
So if they might have one boy, they have to be called Los Ninos now? A switch to the masculine plural form? Time to change that rule, if they have mostly girls it should be Las Ninas. Or mangle the spanish like we frequently do and make everybody unhappy with Las Ninos.
ALL children should be included if they want to participate.
@11:59 – None of them are being forced to participate. Why would you think that?
SBWATCHER – How dare you question my parenting? I have 2 completely “stable” sons and no, they would never volunteer to pass out flowers. But that’s not the point! The point is that NO ONE is forcing kids to do this? Why are you so riled up? This is simply saying boys can now join if they want to. Stop panicking about your kids’ “emotional health” and have a little security in yourself in a parent. Jeez….
SBWATCHER – Are you saying young boys who voluntarily join this group are not “emotionally healthy male children?” I mean, that’s exactly what you wrote, so I just want to clarify.