Decorative cherry - sakura is the national symbol of Japan. Despite the fact that the tradition of worshiping this tree has a religious origin, today the cherry blossom holiday is celebrated by the entire population of the country, regardless of religious beliefs.
Despite the fact that the holiday of admiring sakura blossoms is not a state one, all television channels, radio broadcasting and information sites are in a hurry to inform compatriots in which region of Japan the flowering is already in full swing and what is its timing. It is unthinkable to miss this thrilling sight, and although the Japanese are a nation of workaholics, every company considers it its sacred duty to set aside time for employees in their work schedule so that they can go out into the bosom of nature, sit under cherry blossoms and think about the eternal. After all, sakura is primarily a tribute to the ancient tradition.
The origins of the Japanese hanami tradition
In the traditional religion of Japan - Shinto, it is customary to deify both natural phenomena and plants. It is believed that many material things on Earth have their own spiritual essence (kami). For example, stones or trees. And sakura was no exception. Under the influence of Buddhism, Shintoism underwent some changes, but for Japan, where this religion has been cultivated for centuries, the perception of religious elements of the cult as mandatory national traditions is characteristic. One of them is the holiday of admiring sakura (hanami).
The data on the time of the origin of this tradition are very contradictory. The ancient records of Nihon shoki indicate the 3rd century AD, other sources date the events to the 7th century AD. (reign of the Tang dynasty), others believe that the first time the Japanese began to admire the cherry blossom in the 9th century, in the Heian era. One way or another, but this custom received a symbolic name from the words "khana" - a flower and "mi" - to look.
Initially, this action was available only to aristocrats who settled in the imperial garden and spent their days in idle fun, absorbing all kinds of food, arranging tournaments among poets and philosophers. For the peasants, the sakura blossom was equated with the time of sowing rice.
In the XX century, the "Japanese Sakura Society" was organized. It is a public organization that promotes the annual cherry blossom festival, which is attended by almost 90% of the Japanese population.
Sakura pink - the beginning of all beginnings
Sakura belongs to the ornamental cherry family. The aroma of its flowers, which are fragrant for no more than 10 days, does not leave fruit. This spectacle falls at the end of March - beginning of April, when the Land of the Rising Sun is transformed beyond recognition. Moreover, there is a tradition of night hanami, when hundreds of lanterns turn cherry blossom planting sites into a truly heavenly place where peace and harmony reign. At any moment: the beginning of rain or a gust of wind and the most delicate white-pink petals will scatter. Therefore, the Japanese put a great philosophical meaning about the transience of life in admiring sakura.
And although the color is about to fly around, this time is the beginning of many things. Schoolchildren begin the school year, and farmers start their work in the field. Before the start of the agricultural cycle, the latter turn to the sakura spirits with a request to send a rich harvest of one of the main cereals - rice. Sakura is believed to be the abode of harvest spirits and ancestral spirits. Admiring flowering is designed to pacify the spirits and send grace to the living.
As a rule, a family holiday is accompanied by a joint lunch right at the foot of the trees, during which people simply talk peacefully or commemorate their ancestors. The Shinto religion strongly believes that the spirits of the dead protect the living.
Perhaps this contemplation of beauty helps the Japanese to keep the title of the country of long-livers, although they themselves believe more that life should be stormy, beautiful, full of good deeds, but short-lived, like cherry blossoms.
