桜
- Shay Haneline
- Jun 21, 2019
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 13, 2019

Sakura is the Japanese word for Cherry Blossoms. They are the little, delicate pale pink flowers that bloom from cherry trees. The meaning of Sakura in Japan is deep as the cultural icon is not only beautiful but is linked to the Shinto religion; the Japanese see these flowers as representations of life, death and renewal as the flowers only stay in bloom for about two weeks. They hold high significance of love and female mystique of strength, beauty and sexuality. There are thousands of the trees in Japan and can be seen in their cultural from paintings, film, and poetry. Every year, around the time the flowers are in bloom, one can partake in what is known as hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. It is where families and friends gather to sit under cherry trees and watch the cherry blossoms bloom while enjoying feasts and music. By doing this they are celebrating the virtuosity, delicateness and brevity that is life. Buddhism’s concept of morality and thoughtfulness of living in the now ties the cherry blossoms’ symbolic meaning of the human existence. The samurai are also personified in the falling petals of the blossoms, being a symbol of their short lives.
When my mother adopted me, she planted a cherry tree and a dogwood tree; one for the year I was born and one was for the year I was adopted, representing the beautiful but fleeting time I have to exist in life. I know to make the best of every single day after learning the meaning of the cherry blossoms.
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