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Japanese Cherry Blossom: Origin and Hanami
Before the year 1000, the cherry blossom was the sole protagonist of an event called “Hanami”, this festival celebrates the observation of flowers even if it is only cherry blossoms. Hanami is a very important occasion for the Japanese because this anniversary covers all the meanings that this flower has in their culture, conveying a deep idea of rebirth and auspiciousness linked to the cherry blossom and, in the month of April, when the students They finish high school and enter academia. This flower also represents the ephemeral because it blooms quite quickly and then falls just as quickly, which causes the Japanese to think deeply about the ephemeral value of life.
The Meaning of Cherry Blossoms in Wartime
The warrior tradition of Japan is very old and has its roots in the myth of the samurai. The cherry tree, seen in its perfection, in its tenacity cannot fail to be linked to the nature of the warrior who must demonstrate deep moral characteristics such as honor, strong loyalty and being as pure as the cherry blossom; not only that, he must be brave and honest, fighting for the flower-petal perfection he must aspire to in the darkest moments of his life. more recently, more precisely during the Second World War, when the pilots of a wing of their plane used to paint a cherry blossom which showed their extreme sacrifice as a sign of moral greatness.
The Meaning of the Japanese Cherry Blossom in Religion
In Japan, you can find different varieties of cherry blossoms, but the most common is the five-petalled one, although there may be flowers with more petals, but the five-petalled flower has attracted a lot of interest in various Eastern religions and philosophies. as in Buddhism where it represents the division of the different cardinal points and in the center of these would form five vital spaces. One of the most sacred landforms for Japan, the Oyamatsumi, is said to be born from the five cardinal points, but five are still like the elements that would constitute all things in the world (water, fire, earth, air and emptiness) The link between myth and spirituality are very strong and are represented by the petals of this flower; although this perfection seems to concentrate the philosophy and the history of this population in itself, it is not its official flower.
Cherry blossoms do not have any particular difficulty in growing, as they can grow in any type of soil, whether dry or acidic, as long as there is good water drainage; Despite this, in cool, acidic soils they develop and grow much better, even faster and more vigorously. They should be placed in the sun, remember that the most suitable time for transplanting is late winter / early spring, come on. Also remember that cherry trees have very shallow roots and it would be good not to plant them in places with a lot of Old cherry trees can withstand transplanting if prepared well in advance (at least three years) and with the necessary root ball.