May 1 is the Czech equivalent of Valentine’s Day, when couples kiss under blossoming cherry trees to seal their relationship. Now, however, the custom may be threatened by climate change, which causes trees to bloom much earlier than before.
Many Czech couples searched in vain this year for a cherry tree in bloom for the traditional backdrop to their May Day kiss. In many parts of the country, cherry blossoms had long faded as a result of the early onset of spring. Given the global climate change, this is likely to happen more and more frequently in the future.
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Authors: Ruth Fraňková,Jan Kaliba