Hanami is one of those longed-for celebrations each year. It means "flower watching" in Japanese and is the annual celebration of Sakura – the flowering cherry tree -- and the fullness of springtime beauty.
Family and friends gather under the blossoming trees to picnic and enjoy the idyllic setting, often with the petals gently snowing down. Lanterns are hung in the cherry trees at night, transforming them into floating clouds of iridescent pink and white.
The bloom time for cherry trees is short, one to two weeks in April, depending on the weather. So cherry blossoms symbolize impermanence as much as they do freshness and hope. Hanami shows us how to pause and appreciate life’s momentary pleasures.
Photo by Zhaoli JIN on Unsplash