Thursday 5 April 2012

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL IN JAPAN

Cherry Blossom is the national flower of Japan and is called Sakura in Japanese. Sakura festival or Cherry Blossom Festival is a beautiful event during spring season,  happening right now in several parts of Japan where cherry blossoms have bloomed. The festival is held annually during April /May. 'Hanami' in Japanese, which means 'flower viewing'  is an ancient custom for the Japanese people to gather in huge numbers  in parks and places, during spring time,  to view the beauty of Cherry Blossoms. The blossoming begins in Okinawa in January and reaches Kyoto and Tokyo and other places at the end of March or the beginning of April. Right now, the cherry blossom season has reached it peak.  A few weeks later, the cherry blossoms would bloom in  higher altitudes and northern areas.  There are different varieties of cherry blossoms, ranging from 5 to 100 petals in a flower! The color of the Sakura flowers can be white, light pink, dark pink and purple.

Japanese people follow a tradition which is a part of Hanami, by taking part in the processional walks where there are cherry blossoms, to contemplate on the higher and renew their spirits.






 





 






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