Quote:
Originally Posted by CoolNard
After briefly scanning through the various forums and threads, I've discovered that there aren't any threads on one of Japan's most beautiful traditional festivals, the cherry blossom O.o
According to my research, sakura basically means cherry blossom itself, hence the name.
The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and takes a very prominent position in Japanese culture.
How it all began:
Japan is often referred to as the land of flowers. From ancient times the people of Japan have celebrated the Cherry Blossom Festival as O-hanami: Flower Viewing. Although many beautiful flowers are depicted in song, paintings and even kimono patterns, flower viewing has always meant the beautiful flowering cherry tree  In the eighth century and earlier, the Japanese offered prayers while under the flowering cherry trees in a special ritual for the fertility of the earth. The Hitachinokuni Fudoki, an eighth century guide to famous places, describes singing and dancing among the flowers after climbing Mount Tsukuba. During the Heian period the imperial court held a banquet on the day of O-hanami to mark the change of seasons. Later in the Kamakura period (late 12th-14th c.), the warriors always considered the cherry blossoms the symbol of a life lived fully, no matter how short, and the ritual of cherry blossoms continued 
Flower viewing in the Edo period (17th-19th c.) became a popular secular event among the common people, with much dancing, singing and drinking of sake. And today Japanese radio and television announce the Sakura Zensen or Cherry Blossom front, allowing revelers to travel from region to region, following the blooming trees. Usually, the Cherry Blossom front begins in Okinawa in the south in March. Then it sweeps northward in April and finally reaches Hokkaido in May. With more than 50 varieties blooming from March to May, the excitement mounts XD~! Millions of visitors travel to famous temples, gardens and scenic spots. Dance and music concerts feature the cherry blossom and celebrate spring with poetry competitions, calligraphy exhibits, and paintings that depict the viewing season. Picnics are also planned under the flowers by schools, companies and families to celebrate the short fleeting bloom of this popular symbol of Japan 
When Japanese people immigrated to the Untied States in the late 19th century, they planted the flowering cherry trees wherever they lived. In 1911, the Japanese government sent thousands of cherry trees to Washington D.C. which were planted all around the Washington Tidal Basin. This gesture of friendship between the two countries began the first Sakura Matsuri or Cherry Blossom Festival in the United States. Other Cherry Blossom festivals are held throughout the country in Macon, Georgia; Tuscalossa, Alabama; Detroit, Michigan; San Francisco, California; and Brooklyn, New York. It is obviously a symbolic event that brings countries and people together.
Seattle’s Cherry Blossom Festival began when one thousand Cherry trees were sent by the Japanese government  The trees were planted along Lake Washington Boulevard and Seward Park. The Seattle area is fortunate in the abundance of Japanese cherry trees it has in the parks and other public places. The Seattle Center, the Arboretum, the Japanese Garden, the University of Washington, Woodland Park, and the Seattle Buddhist Church Wysteria Plaza also have Japanese cherry trees. Arthur Lee Jacobs' "Trees of Seattle," tells you exactly where they are. You can have your own O-hanami (flower viewing) and then join the crowd at the Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival 
This is just one of the many delights you'll be able to pleasurably experience while living in Japan.
For more details, you can visit: Cherry Blossom Festival - Japanese Cherry Blossoms
P.S. This thread is dedicated to all the older JF'ers: Avary_Ninja, Kainpendragon, CrimsonNataku, maks, Vesperd, kudo, Ash, GuitarisutoKao, etc etc, and especially to NinjaKasumi123 ^_^ Of course, the rest of the members are also welcome to visit this thread whenever you want =P
Enjoy!!! XD
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i read on a website about how in japan flowers have meanings behind them.....you mentioned that long ago they felt the flowers represented having ;lived a full life.....would you say that's a pretty deepset cultural meaning.....or has the influence of the western world upon the modern culture affected what the cherry blossom represents?