SAKURA AND CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

     Sakura is the special name for a kind of cherry tree in Japan. Sakura tree comes to flower, but it doesn't bear fruit. There are different sakura types. One of them is nearly pure white, including pink in some parts. Its flowers are near the stem, so it looks white from top to bottom when blooming. Another sakura type has large flowers. Its flowers are generally pink. Sakura has an importance for the Japanese people. It is the part of a custom called Cherry Blossom Feast and carried out especially in Japan. It is also the beginning of new academic year in Japan.

     Cherry Blossom custom includes a feast during which people picnickes under a blooming sakura. This custom started nearly thirteen centuries ago. When this tradition started to be carried out centuries ago, during Nara Period, people admired appricot flowers. They wrote poems looking at these flowers. This changed in the course of the time. Cherry blossoms came to attract more attention. The custom was only performed by aristocratics of the Imperial Court at first. It started to exist in samurai society soon. In the end, common people common people carried out this tradition. Over time, the government in Japan planted areas of cherry trees to encourage people to practice this feast.

     People in Japan actualize the feast when the sakura trees bloom and the weather gets warm towards the spring. Sakura is the sign of the coming spring. People come together during this time to celebrate coming of the spring and new academic year. They enjoy their time with their families, friends, neighbours and the other people around. They have a picnic under sakura trees. The Japanese are also famous for their tea ceremonies. They don't skip performing tea ceremonies during the feast. They also do some sport activities. There are some programs on TV related to this feast during this time. People do their best to spend that time as enjoyably as possible.

   Cherry blooms, or sakura blooms, have different meanings in Japan. One of them is their being an enduring methaphor for ephemeral nature of life. This methaphor can be embodied as awareness of impermanence. This aspect of the custom is associated with Buddhism. This association dates back to 18th century. People have associated sakura with mortality, because both human and sakura blooms have a brief life. Sakura was also used as a symbol in Japanese art, manga, anime, cinema, music, etc. In addition, Cherry blooms were also used to motivate people during the wars throughout the history. The aim of this action was to stoke nationalism and militarism among the people in the country.

     Cherry Blossom Feast is such an old tradition that almost all nations have received its share from this custom. It has some effects on the countries such as Australia, Brasil, Canada, China, Germany, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Turkey,etc. This effect can be seen through the similar activities performed in these countries.