Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Spring
Seasonality: Late Spring/ April
Japanese Name: Hanami/ Sakura/ Usagi
English Name: Cherry Blossom Viewing/ Cherry Blossoms/ Rabbit
Hanami (花見), "flower viewing" is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; flowers ("hana") are in this case almost always referring to those of the cherry ("sakura") or, less frequently, plum ("ume") trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜) "night sakura."
The significance of the cherry blossom tree, also called sakura (桜), in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. The cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. When the cherry blossom trees bloom for a short time each year in brilliant force, they serve as a visual reminder of how precious and how precarious life is. So, when Japanese people come together to view the cherry blossom trees and marvel at their beauty, they aren’t just thinking about the flowers themselves, but also about the larger meaning and deep cultural tradition the cherry blossom tree.
Usagi (兎), or rabbits, are symbols of peace, docility, cuteness, and luck. This is because the Chinese character usually used to write this animals name is very similar to the character 免 (manukareru), which means to get rid of, or make vanish. In other words, some believe that rabbits will make bad luck disappear! They were also considered symbols of fertility because they’re prolific breeders. This connection with fertility and abundant offspring is often why many ancient Asians have long said that there is a rabbit on the moon. The moon has also been considered to be deeply connected to pregnancy and childbirth. Thus, the moon, a God of Conception and Childbirth, with a rabbit servant, the symbol of fertility, are a natural combination. Due to it’s connections with fertility and new life, it’s also a symbol of spring.
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