The Rose Parade has been a tradition for more than a hundred years (it first took place in 1890) and can also be watched on TV on New Year’s Day. The local radio station KTLA began broadcasting the parade in 1947, and by 2009, it was televised in 217 countries in more than 20 languages. Before we attended the Rose Parade in Pasadena in 2017, we often lost interest after watching it on TV for a while. However, since then, going to Pasadena for the Rose Parade has become our family’s New Year’s celebration tradition. We wake up early, take the light rail, and walk 10 minutes to our favorite spot to watch the parade. It’s easy and fun.
The Rose Parade is an annual event that is followed by the Rose Bowl Game (an American college football bowl game) in the afternoon. The parade is held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, on New Year’s Day (or Monday, January 2, if New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday). Since its inception in 1890, the Rose Parade has been canceled only four times in its 135-year history: three times during World War II (1942, 1943, 1945) and once due to the COVID-19 global pandemic (2021). Since 2011, Honda has been the presenting sponsor of the Rose Parade, which is why its float always leads the parade.
When the parade is about to begin, a group of police officers on motorcycles announces its start by sounding warnings on the road. Then, the U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber flies over silently. Ever since I was surprised by this incredible sight in 2017, I’ve eagerly anticipated the bomber’s flyover every year. Following the bomber, Honda’s float officially kicks off the parade. This year, however, before the stealth bomber appeared, we also noticed a group of airplanes writing “Happy New Year 2025” in the sky. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any information about this unique display.
玫瑰花車遊行已有一百多年的歷史，(第一次是在1890年舉辦)，元旦也能在電視上看到轉播。1947年地方電台KTLA 就開始轉播了，在 2009 年甚至有 217 個國家以 20 多種語言進行轉播。在 2017 年參加帕薩迪納玫瑰花車遊行之前，我們經常在電視上看一陣子就不感興趣了。然而從 2017 年起，去帕薩迪納看玫瑰花車遊行就成了我們家慶祝新年的傳統。我們早起去搭乘輕軌，然後再步行10分鐘就到了我們最喜歡看遊行的地點。既方便又有意思。
玫瑰花車遊行是一年一度的活動，隨後下午舉行玫瑰杯比賽（美國大學橄欖球杯比賽）。遊行主要在元旦（如果元旦恰逢週日，則為 1 月 2 日週一）沿著加州洛杉磯帕薩迪納的科羅拉多大道舉行。自1890 年舉辦以來，玫瑰花車遊行在這135 年的歷史中僅被取消過四次：其中三次是在第二次世界大戰期間（1942 年、1943 年、1945 年），一次是由於COVID-19全球大流行（2021 年）。自2011年以來，本田一直是玫瑰花車遊行的贊助商，因此本田的花車總是走在遊行隊伍的最前面。
當遊行即將開始時，一群騎摩托車的警察會在路上鳴響警告，宣布遊行即將開始。隨後，美國空軍B-2幽靈隱形轟炸機會悄悄從頭頂飛過。自從 2017 年我被隱形轟炸機的突然出現嚇到，自此後我每年都熱切地期待著它的飛越。繼隱形轟炸機之後，本田的花車正式展開遊行的序幕。然而今年，在隱形轟炸機出現之前，我們還注意到天空中一群飛機噴氣寫著「2025年新年快樂」。可惜我無法找到有關的資料。
Floral-decorated floats are the most attractive objects in the Rose Parade. Every inch of every float must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. Most floats are built by professional float building companies and take nearly a year to construct. Some communities and organizational sponsors still rely on volunteers. Every year, the Rose Parade features a special theme. The theme for 2025 is "Best Day Ever!" celebrating life's joyful moments — from once-in-a-lifetime experiences to the simplest pleasures that bring a smile, warm our hearts, and fill us with joy. The floats compete for one of 24 awards selected by three judges each year based on many criteria including creative design, floral craftsmanship, artistic merit, computerized animation, thematic interpretation, floral and color presentation, and dramatic impact. 39 floats participated in the Rose Parade this year.
花車是玫瑰花車遊行最吸引人的東西。每個花車的每一英寸都必須用鮮花或天然材料，例如葉子、種子或樹皮來覆蓋。許多志工和專業人士花費近一年的時間來建造它們。每年玫瑰花車遊行都有一個特別的主題。2025 年的主題是 “有史以來最美好的一天！” 來慶祝生活中的快樂時刻——可以從千載難逢的經歷，到帶來微笑、溫暖我們的心、讓我們充滿歡樂的簡單樂事。這些花車每年將角逐由三名評審選出的 24 個獎項之一。評判標準包括了創意設計、花藝工藝、藝術價值、電腦動畫、主題詮釋、花藝和色彩呈現以及戲劇效果等。今年有39 輛花車參加玫瑰花車遊行。
This year's Grand Marshal is Billie Jean King, a sports icon and equality champion. The Rose Queen and Rose Court are iconic traditions in the Pasadena Tournament of Rose’s history. This year’s Rose Queen is Lindsay Charles.
今年的花車大元帥是比利·簡·金 (Billie Jean King)，她是一位運動偶像和平等待遇的擁護者。玫瑰皇后和玫瑰皇室是帕薩迪納玫瑰錦標賽歷史中的標誌性傳統。今年的玫瑰皇后是林賽·查爾斯 (Lindsay Charles)。
The Rose Parade’s musical legacy dates to 1891 when the Monrovia, California City Band joined the procession of flower-covered pony carts in the second Tournament of Roses Parade. Since then, top marching bands from all over the world have been invited. Many of the nation’s top high school marching bands, along with college and organizational marching bands have participated. There are 20 marching bands this year to participate in the parade. Their enthusiastic attitude brings joy to the audience.
玫瑰花車遊行的音樂傳統可以追溯到 1891 年，當時加州蒙羅維亞市樂隊在第二屆玫瑰花車遊行錦標賽中加入了鮮花覆蓋的小馬車遊行。從那時起，邀請來自世界各地的頂級儀仗樂隊，許多全國頂尖的高中樂隊以及大學和組織都被邀請參加過。今年有 20 支儀仗樂隊參加遊行。他們的熱情態度為觀眾帶來歡樂。
It is natural that there are floats in the rose parade and I can also understand marching bands in it. However I wonder why I see so many different equestrian units. It turned out this event began as a promotional effort by Pasadena’s distinguished Valley Hunt Club. In the winter of 1890, the club members brainstormed ways to promote the “Mediterranean of the West.” They invited their former East Coast neighbors to a mid-winter holiday, where they could watch games such as chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war under the warm California sun. The abundance of fresh flowers, even in the midst of winter, prompted the club to add another showcase for Pasadena’s charm: a parade would precede the competition, where entrants would decorate their carriages with hundreds of blooms. The Tournament of Roses was born. On January 1, 1890, Grand Marshal Francis Roland and President Charles Holder mounted their horses and led the first Rose Parade through Pasadena. Therefore, the equestrian units have become an indispensable part of the parade. A wide variety of horse breeds and colorful costumes add a lot of fun to the parade. There are 16 equestrian units this year.
花車遊行裡有花車是理所當然的，有遊行樂隊也可想見，但是我就覺得好奇怪為什麼看到好幾種不同的馬術隊。原來這項活動始於帕薩迪納著名的山谷狩獵俱樂部的宣傳活動。1890 年冬天，俱樂部成員集思廣益，想宣傳這“西方的地中海”。他們便邀請他們以前在東岸的鄰居來個冬至度假，在這裡他們可以在溫暖的加州陽光下觀看雙輪馬車賽、馬上長槍比武、競走比賽、馬球和拔河等比賽。即使在冬天仍是鮮花盛開的景像，促使俱樂部想為帕薩迪納的魅力增添一個亮點：參賽者將用數百朵鮮花裝飾他們的馬車，在比賽前舉行遊行。玫瑰錦標賽就誕生了。在 1890 年 1 月 1 日，花車大元帥弗朗西斯·羅蘭 (Francis Roland) 和查爾斯·霍爾德 (Charles Holder) 總裁，騎馬帶領了第一次的玫瑰花車遊行穿過帕薩迪納。因而馬術隊成為遊行隊伍中不可或缺的一部份。品種繁多的馬和五顏六色的服飾給遊行增添了不少趣味。今年有 16 個馬術單位參加遊行。
The splendid Rose Parade is difficult to describe with photos and words. Take a look at my sped up video to see what the Rose Parade is like.
多彩多姿的花車遊行很難用照片及文字來描述，看看我的快速錄影影片，來了解一下花車遊行是怎麼一回事。
How fitting it was to be greeted with a rose at the Metro station to conclude our Rose Parade celebration.
回家坐地鐵時，地鐵站的人送我們玫瑰花來結束玫瑰花車慶祝活動。真棒!
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