Happy Hanami everyone :)

Question- What is Hanami?

You would have guessed by now that it is something Japanese

Hanami is the traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers ("flowers" almost always refers to cherry blossoms i.e. sakura blossoms or ume blossoms)

Just like the monsoon forecast for the South-east Asian countries, there exists a "blossom forecast" announced by the weather bureau.

The festival extends from early January to mid-May throughout the country lasting one or two weeks in any particular region.

The aim of the festival is very simple...to enjoy Natures' splendor :)

Festivities include everything from lakeside family picnicking to official business meets

(basically the festival is an opportunity to improve all family and workplace relations)

The festival usually coincides with the beginning of the new scholastic and fiscal years and so welcoming parties are quite a common feature.

The celebrations usually last into the late hours of the night and is referred to as yozakura. Temporary paper lanterns are lit in the gardens to provide lighting and enhance the festive atmosphere.

So go pack your bags folks and do it quick...the season's about to end and I bet the blossoms are calling.. ;)

Sayonara :)