April
[Hana-mi]
CHERRY-BLOSSOM
VIEWING
Hana-mi (cherry-blossom viewing) is a spring custom in
Japan. Families, neighbors and co-workers go to Hanami-
parties together with food and drink. They put groundclothes
or wide sheets under the blossoming cherry trees and drink
alcohol, eat food, sing songs and dance together while
observing the beautiful cherry blossoms. They enjoy sharing
time together and become closer friends.
Companies also hold Hanami-parties. It's a kind of
ceremony to get to know each other well. Because the
Japanese campany year starts in April and many new employees
don't know the other co-workers and superieurs well, so the
company wants to provide oppotunities for them to become
more familier with their company.
In places that are popular for beautiful cherry-blossoms, parties must arrive in advance one full day to save a good place. They wait only all day long until the rest of group comes. If it is a Company hanami-party, new employees are asked to save the place. Recently, many young employees don't like to attend this kind of party, because it is an extension of their evening work. Often, some older businessmen become rude toword young women workers after drinking, and take away the enjoyment of the party. It then becomes one kind of uncomfortable work for them.
Hanami has many good points and bad points, but fundamentally, Japanese people love cherry-blossoms. It is a symbol of Spring. In Japan, April is a mouth when schools and companies start the new year, so the scene of blooming cherry-blossoms adds to this feeling of a new beginning or hope. When nervous students enter the new schools,cherry-blossoms in the school yards welcome them. If young students get a good mark on a test, they will recieve a cherry-flower-shaped stamp that is written "You did very well". If you take an entrance exam for a university and you want to know the result by telegram, the words " Cherry blossoms bloom ! " mean you have passed.
Cherry blossoms are the signal of the end of a long winter in Japan. In your country, do you have this kind of flower ?
In places that are popular for beautiful cherry-blossoms, parties must arrive in advance one full day to save a good place. They wait only all day long until the rest of group comes. If it is a Company hanami-party, new employees are asked to save the place. Recently, many young employees don't like to attend this kind of party, because it is an extension of their evening work. Often, some older businessmen become rude toword young women workers after drinking, and take away the enjoyment of the party. It then becomes one kind of uncomfortable work for them.
Hanami has many good points and bad points, but fundamentally, Japanese people love cherry-blossoms. It is a symbol of Spring. In Japan, April is a mouth when schools and companies start the new year, so the scene of blooming cherry-blossoms adds to this feeling of a new beginning or hope. When nervous students enter the new schools,cherry-blossoms in the school yards welcome them. If young students get a good mark on a test, they will recieve a cherry-flower-shaped stamp that is written "You did very well". If you take an entrance exam for a university and you want to know the result by telegram, the words " Cherry blossoms bloom ! " mean you have passed.
Cherry blossoms are the signal of the end of a long winter in Japan. In your country, do you have this kind of flower ?