It’s Cherry Blossom Season In Washington D.C.

Image:Charity Owl

It’s Cherry Blossom Season In Washington D.C.

Every Spring, as the chill of winter retreats for another year and grey skies give way to gentle blue, the cherry trees of Washington D.C. come to incandescent life.

The thousands of blooming cherry trees that line the monuments of the national mall explode into pink and white hues, bringing to mind the eternal renewal of spring and the hope that this year might hold new prosperity for the nation.

The trees themselves are a symbol of friendship, being given to the US by the Japanese Ambassador in 1912, their annual blooming is a chance to celebrate the bonds the two nations share as well as the joy of spring.

Image: Washington.org

The Cherry Blossom festival has been called the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, and when surrounded by such stunning beauty it is hard not to celebrate.

In addition to festivities honoring the US, the event includes celebrations of Japanese culture, in which the flowering of Cherry Blossoms or Sakura, has been a cause of rejoicing for centuries.

In Japan, the yearly event is anticipated all year long, and the public gathers around the Television for daily weather reports to eagerly follow the progress of the trees as warming weather drives a wave of blossoms up the archipelago. Once the local trees are in bloom, families pack up lunches to enjoy together underneath the flowering petals, welcoming the first days of Spring.

These are not the same trees that produce edible cherries, so don’t get too excited by the prospect of picking fruit from the trees until your hands are sticky and your stomach is in knots. These particular species of cherry are cultivated for their esthetic qualities.

It still is an amazing thing to see, and won’t last much longer, so if you get the chance to head to D.C. soon, do it. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until next year.