博文

樱花开了（一）

已有 3694 次阅读 2012-4-21 12:35 |系统分类:图片百科

樱花是日本的国花，日文叫做Sakura。樱花在北美安家落户大约是始于1902年。由于日本政府外交部门多年来推行“Sakura Project”，樱花逐渐在世界许多城市落地生根，深受当地人们的喜爱。

在北美的一些城市，比如美国华盛顿、夏威夷和加拿大温哥华，每年樱花盛开的时候，都会有樱花节之类的庆祝活动。

In Japan, there is a legend that each spring a fairy maiden hovers low in the warm sky, wakening the sleeping Cherry trees to life with her delicate breath.

Sakura trees are the first to bloom, with flowers that are nearly pure white with a hint of pink near the stem.

The blossoms last for about a week, before the leaves come out.

Due to their very short bloom time, Sakura blossoms are seen as a metaphor for life itself, luminous and beautiful, yet fleeting and ephemeral.

The Japanese traditional custom of hanami (“flower viewing”) dates back to the Nara Period (710-794) when the Chinese Tang Dynasty influenced Japan with their custom of enjoying flowers.

By the Heian Period (794-1191), cherry trees attracted more attention and were planted and cultivated for their beauty, especially in Kyoto (Japan's capital city during this era).

The custom of hanami was originally limited to the elite and Japanese nobility but soon blossomed to include all levels of Japanese society.

To date, when the Sakura trees bloom, Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers during the day or evening to hold feasts and drink sake under the flowering trees.

Many people also take part in processional walks through parks, contemplating and renewing their spirits under the Sakura trees. Hanami at night is called yozakura (meaning “night sakura”).

In many places, paper lanterns are hung under trees for yozakura.

Cherry blossom viewing is a rite of spring in many cities across North America, where Sakura Matsuri (“festival”) are held to celebrate the beauty of the Sakura.

Interestingly, while Sakura trees are not native to North America, the small fruits of the Yoshino and Akebono cherry trees are a source of food for many resident songbirds including American Robins and Northern Cardinals.