Globe Corner Blogs

My first years in Washington, DC, I was skeptical about all the cherry blossom hoopla that swirls around our nation’s capital every spring. We had a cherry tree back home in Ohio, and for the two days its sparse blossoms clung to the knotted limbs, it looked as if a rather pathetic spring had sprung. So why was it such a big deal here?

Though I had avoided the Cherry Blossom Festival initially, frightened off by the rumors of roving hordes of tourists, one year I broke down and traveled to the Tidal Basin in Potomac Park. It was early spring (peak bloom is usually around April 4th), and I was in short sleeves. …And so were the roving hordes of tourists. As I struggled out of the Metro station, carefully tip-toeing around squealing little kids, I began to doubt my choice of Sunday afternoon activities. But as soon as I neared the water my doubt dissolved.

From a distance the trees, abloom in tiny white and pink flowers, presented themselves as a solid wall of color. There are over 3,000 cherry trees winding around the Tidal Basin, creating an almost intimidating vision. Closing in on the trees I see that they are shorter than I expected, as if pulled down by their beautiful burden. But they are not bowed, in fact they’re quite solid, some branches pointing toward the sky, reminding visitors of the beautiful blue day they are walking through.

I walked a ways under a canopy of blossoms, oblivious to the tourists surrounding me, wondering at what spring had brought us. Petals fell gently, covering the path in front of me and sprinkling the heads of all the visitors. This halcyon reverie was broken, of course, by the other visitors, but despite this it was somehow reassuring that so many people wanted to take part in this celebration of beauty and spring. Who knows what the people of Tokyo envisioned when they gave us these trees back in 1912, and what they would make of the festival today. Hopefully they, too, would celebrate with abandon, ignoring the confetti of petals gathering in their hair.

Check out the numerous other events that take place around the blossoming, from a parade to fireworks to a Japanese street festival. More information can be found on the websites below.

Official Website of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

National Park Service Cherry Blossom info

Read more: Cherry Blossom Festival, Festival, Travel, Travel Tips and Resources, Washington DC


Llalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS