To each one of them, a fallen cherry petal was a symbol of the end of a legendary warrior who had led a life of honor and pride. However, these days, sakura does no longer reflect such self-destructive behavior. Because their full bloom marks the beginning of spring, they were considered a sign of agricultural reproduction. Centuries back, cherry blossom trees used to grow on the mountains first, which the Japanese would climb every spring to worship the trees.
According to their beliefs, these pretty flowers represented the mountain deities. Ever since cherry blossoms were seen as symbols for a new beginning since they signaled the start of spring, they embodied hope and a bright future to come. Its roots extend far beyond just acknowledging the beginning of spring. See, each year at the time of the full bloom of cherry blossom trees, the Japanese gather with their loved ones under this striking canopy. They have food and drinks, but most importantly, they seize the day.
Each of them reflects on their life and its meaning and lets go of their doubts and fears. At the end of the day, what really matters is to welcome the future with wide arms and hope for the better no matter what. Ultimately, there are thousands of those trees there, gracing its people with their lovely existence. During the last century, Japan went on to send cherry blossom trees to many countries as a sign of peace and a fresh beginning. Cherry blossoms, also known as sakura in Japan , are the small, delicate pink flowers produced by cherry blossom trees.
The springtime bloom is a lavish spectacle but remarkably brief; after only two weeks, they drop to the ground and wither, falling like snow with the ebb and flow of the winds.
As flowers native to Asia, they can also be found in China, South Korea and India, but today they enjoy worldwide blooming.
From the U. Cherry blossoms hold elevated status in China, signifying love and the female mystique beauty, strength and sexuality , but nowhere in the world are the elusive flowers more cherished than in Japan, home to thousands of cherry blossom trees.
The floral imagery permeates Japanese paintings, film and poetry. Every April, families and friends across the country ceremoniously gather in large groups for hanami and elaborate feasts with music under giant, feathery canopies of soft pink. Tied to the Buddhist themes of mortality, mindfulness and living in the present, Japanese cherry blossoms are a timeless metaphor for human existence. Blooming season is powerful, glorious and intoxicating, but tragically short-lived — a visual reminder that our lives, too, are fleeting.
It is time, cherry blossoms remind us, to pay attention. In Japanese culture, sakura as the embodiment of beauty and mortality can be traced back centuries. It was their duty to not only exemplify and preserve these virtues in life, but to appreciate the inevitability of death without fearing it — in battle, it came all too soon for the samurai. Sakura are also revered as a symbol of rebirth.
Hanami was in fact established as a ritual as early as , long before the rise of feudal Japan. We feel like the fully bloomed cherry blossoms are celebrating and welcoming our brand-new start. Many schools and companies have cherry trees outside of them. This is why Japanese people have special feelings for the cherry blossoms. I have lovely memories from when I was young, doing hanami with my parents, brother, and sister.
My mom packed a special lunch box, hanami bento , full of our favorite foods. My father was in charge of securing a good place for us at the famous park by placing a blanket under the cherry trees in the early morning. Now I like to go to hanami with a few of my close friends just to enjoy the cherry blossoms, but if I go with a lot of friends or a group of colleagues, it mostly means having a party with lots of eating and drinking.
In , 3, trees were sent from Yokohama to Washington, D. This spring the Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the year anniversary of the gift of sakura.
Want to go to hanami? This is the Japanese character for sakura. These characters yozakura mean viewing cherry blossom at night. Erina Takeda was an intern at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage working on fundraising research. She is sophomore at the Aichi Shukutoku University in Japan, studying international relations with a focus on culture and sustainability. Living traditions of, by, and for the people.
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