We lived near Washington, DC for many years and attended Cherry Blossom festival every year. For those of you who never had a chance to see it – here is a little bit of history of it and my video that I made in Spring of 2014.
The plantings of 3,020 cherry trees originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan. In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or “Sakura,” is an exalted flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with the evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages.
Nothing signifies the arrival of spring in the nation’s capital quite like the blooming of the cherry blossom trees and the three-week-long National Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate the occasion. More than 1.5 million visitors descend upon Washington, DC each year to admire these magnificent trees.
The peak bloom date is defined as the day when 70 percent of the trees surrounding the Tidal Basin have opened their buds, creating an unforgettable sea of pink and white. The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for measuring the growth of the buds of the trees. Each year, the organization provides a prediction of when peak bloom will arrive. The best viewing of the cherry blossom trees typically lasts four to seven days after peak bloom begins, but the blossoms can last for up to two weeks under ideal conditions.
AloJapan.com