How to Celebrate Spring With Japanese Hanami
Hanami, which is Japanese for "flower viewing," is a special event in Japan. Hanami happens when the cherry blossom trees bloom, signaling the beginning of Spring. Hanami has been celebrated for centuries in Japan with celebrations that include picnics of traditional food. drinking, singing, and parties. In the United States and throughout the world, many cities hold cherry blossom festivals that are similar to Hanami.
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Instructions
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Plan a trip to Japan for a true Hanami experience. In most major Japanese cities, the cherry blossom season usually takes place in late March or early April. The blooms start as early as January in Japan's southern islands, and later in the northern regions. Consult a Japanese guide book for the best Hanami locations and information.
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Visit Washington, D.C., for the annual cherry blossom festival which takes place in April. Each year, the festival is held to celebrate Japan's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to that city in 1912. The trees blanket the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in a sea of pink and white each year, signaling the beginning of Spring. Events include a parade, street festival, and daily cultural performances.
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Travel to other cities that hold Cherry Blossom festivals. Macon, Georgia, holds a festival each year among its 300,000 trees. New York's Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, and other cities around the world hold annual events.
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Grow your own flowering cherry trees. Once they mature, you'll be able to celebrate Hanami in your own backyard. One of the most popular trees to grow is the Yoshino flowering cherry tree, which produces many pink or white flowers in early spring.
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Celebrate at your festival--whether it be in Japan or your own backyard--by holding a picnic beneath the trees, or simply spend some time enjoying the spectacle of blooms.
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