A 105-year heat record was broken in the capital on Thursday.Continue reading
This year marks the eighteenth edition of cherry blossom celebration in the ELTE Botanical Garden. The annual Sakura Festival in Budapest is linked to the traditional Japanese celebrations.
During the festival, visitors can picnic on a blanket in the garden and enjoy the flowering Sakura trees. The weekend activities on March 29-30, and April 5-6, will showcase Japanese culture in many unique and exciting ways, Turizmus.com reports.
This year’s program will include Japanese language lessons, Japanese music, martial arts and weapons demonstrations, special lessons on Go (abstract strategy board game) and Shogi (Japanese chess), ikebana (the art of flower arrangement) exhibitions and workshops. In addition, bonsai enthusiasts can also gain valuable knowledge at the festival.
Cherry blossoming is very spectacular, as the flowers open before any other trees leaf out, covering the branches in huge, dense clusters.
The Japanese cherry tree is a national and cultural symbol of Japan. The tradition of Hanami (literal translation: “flower looking”) is a many centuries-old practice of holding feasts under blooming cherry trees. It is a picnic-like event in Japan: thousands of people fill the parks every year to hold feasts under the flowering trees. In Japan, cherry blossoms start blooming at the end of March and lasts until the beginning of May, but each tree blossoms only for a short period.
Hanami picnic in front of Himeji Castle, Japan. Photo: Wikipedia
The cherry blossom (or sakura) is a frequent subject of Japanese art, and many poems and songs immortalize the noble plant. The flower has a symbolic meaning, as the short life of flowers reflects the ideal of purity and simplicity.
The Sakura Festival in the Botanical Garden will be held even if it rains, and the planned activities may vary depending on the weather, the organizers said.
Via Turizmus.com, Featured image: Pexels