▷ Meaning of 【CHERRY BLOSSOM】

Everything that revolves around the cherry blossom is truly beautiful, both the flower itself and its meaning, as well as the stories and legends it has inspired. This flower is not only beautiful in appearance, but also in depth; not in vain is it acclaimed and even revered in many places.

Yes, the cherry blossom receives tributes and these are very well deserved. The Japanese cherry tree has no problem adapting anywhere, since any soil is good to survive, all it needs is to grow in an early climate.

Pollution is not a problem either. The cherry tree rather adorns many spaces in different Japanese cities, the only type of pollution that hurts it is the industrial type, although this is understandable.

It is known as sakura, which literally translates to "cherry blossom"; Its height can reach up to five meters, thus becoming a truly majestic tree capable of attracting the gaze of anyone and enveloping them with the mysticism hidden among its branches. Its leaves have nerves and undergo changes as they go through the different seasons.

What most captivates about this tree are its flowers, which are characterized by having a hue that ranges from purple to white. Its flowers are so many that, when they are born, they are capable of completely covering the branches of the tree.

So, most of the year the tree is covered by its leaves, when winter comes it shows its nakedness, and in spring it dazzles with its flowers. This is the reason why, when spring arrives, Japan becomes a celebration whose maximum enjoyment is observing the beautiful flowers.

Japanese culture admires the cherry blossom tree so much that they even created a social event to be able to see it better, in the company of the most special people and enjoying food and drinks.

The cherry blossom is so special to this town because its philosophy of life is reflected right in this flower. Japanese culture recognizes the fragility and how quickly life can go by and that is why the cherry blossom keeps this meaning.

Certainly, the cherry blossom is widely used, especially for decorative purposes, although many also love to get tattoos for this reason to remember the inconsistency that life can present. There are those who also treat some ailments, such as diuretics, with the infusions of this tree.

Although it has all these uses, the cherry blossom also has a symbolism related to Buddhism. Likewise, the samurai also attributed an important symbolic load to it. For this, the cherry blossom signified the blood and the transience of life, a concept that they knew very well because of the sacrifice that was implied in their profession. Some people also link all of this to the nationalism of the kamikazes during WWII.

The meaning of the cherry blossom was not something that remained in the past, but still persists, and for this reason hanami is celebrated today, which takes place in March or at the beginning of April.

At this time, when the flowering occurs, many Japanese citizens move to places where there are abundant cherry trees to enjoy the scenery, but also to reflect on the meaning of life itself. This is a celebration that is not only celebrated exclusively by the Japanese, but people from other cultures have started to join in as well.

The reason why other citizens of the world have also begun to do so is because of the popularity that this beautiful flower has gained with all its meaning, which is also related to the simple, the beautiful, and the power of rebirth that each of we have every time spring comes.

Contemplating the cherry blossoms invites us to meditate on the meaning of our lives, the excesses to which we submit on many occasions, and which make no sense because they only cause us harm. Taking a look at the cherry blossom and its meaning also connects us to the importance of simplicity in life and how happy we can be with so little.

This tree barely shows its flowers twice a year and this also makes us think about how short our existence can be, and how quickly everything can happen. We ourselves can see ourselves reflected in the changes that the cherry tree experiences in the different seasons. Sometimes we can be covered in flowers, and at other times naked, defenseless or vulnerable to the rush of the world that affects us.

The cherry blossom meaning also transports us towards the ethereal, which is outside the physical sphere in this world. It is worth standing in front of a cherry tree and reflecting on the message it transmits to us. The world can be fierce, and our life very ephemeral, but the cherry blossom makes us contact the subtlest side that subsists in our interiority.

Another important detail that the Buddhists considered is that, just as the flowers fall quickly after being splendid and covering the entire tree, so is the beauty and the banality of the world and life itself: they pass quickly and that is not what we must hold on while we live.

Fortunately, the cherry tree repeats the cycle, and thus we too can be reborn, resurfaced and flourish again after undergoing internal changes or transformation processes.

All the above is the meaning of the cherry blossom in Japan. In China the meaning of the flower is more associated with sexuality, beauty and feminine power. The cherry blossom allows us to reflect on the aforementioned issues, but, as we have mentioned, its use is very wide. It is a tree that is truly used in oriental culture, then, a curious fact is that flowers are used at weddings when serving tea or infusions, since the flavor of it is very precious and taking it is consuming the life with full consciousness.