The dancing cherry blossoms

Winter in Washington, DC has finally retreated; a much anticipated spring has arrived in the nation's capital with grandeur. With warm days and blue skies, Washington is at the onslaught of spring euphoria.
The air is very still, and we had some sun-warmed days since the beginning of this spring; now the city is cloaked in cherry blossoms. We are blessed to see the brilliance of this frail flower with renewed sense of pure joy. The soft white and pretty pink petals are cascading the earth. They fade away before our restless hearts catch sight of its beauty and glory in haste.
Every year Washington, DC welcomes the arrival of spring with the two-week Cherry Blossom Festival. It is a celebration that resembles a queen's coronation. During these two weeks, about a million people come to the nation's capital to view this spectacular festival. The kinship between the United States and Japan is celebrated in the spring, and it is an event unlike any other that takes place here.  
The spectators are able to learn about Japanese culture through visual medium, performing arts and music. The festival in general is geared to promote cross-cultural friendship, and bring joy and excitement to the thousands who flock on the ground of National Mall during the two-week period of endless fun.
In Japan, cherry tree is called Sakura (blossom,) which is a lovely flowering plant. The story began in 1910 with a campaign which urged that Washington needed the beautiful flowering cherry trees from Japan to beautify itself. Japan donated 2,000 cherry trees to Washington as a gift and a symbol of goodwill gesture in continuing a friendly relationship.
When the gift arrived it was discovered that the trees were infested with some kind of disease. US President William Howard Taft ordered those to be burnt. After hearing about it in 1912, the mayor of Tokyo, Yokio Ozaki presented three thousand cherry tree seedlings to President Taft. First Lady Helen Herron Taft planted the first tree.
Most of the cherry trees in Washington, DC were planted around the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, near the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River. The trees around the Tidal Basin 'are of Yoshino variety.' There is another species called Kwanzan which normally blooms a couple of weeks later, to give people another chance to see the beautiful blossoms.
On March 27, 2012 Michelle Obama planted a cherry tree to commemorate the centennial of the cherry blossoms and to honour US-Japan solidarity.
This particular year marks the 105th anniversary of the gift of cherry trees, and the ongoing friendship between Japan and America, who were on opposite sides during World War II.
During the festival time, the much awaited full bloom occurs depending on the weather.
The event this year started on March 28th and will last until April 14th. On the opening ceremony, both Japanese and the US dignitaries were in attendance. There is a stage that was set up near the edge of the tidal basin. On the stage - music, dance and songs were performed in English and Japanese by local, national as well as international artistes.
The opening ceremony was followed by a kite flying event called the Blossom Kite Festival. This year the Smithsonian Institute held its 49th Kite festival. Kite enthusiasts from across the globe came to DC to participate and demonstrate their kite flying skills and to take part in various competitions on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The scene was a beautiful kaleidoscope of multi-coloured kites across the sky.
March 28th was a very windy day, and the air was a bit chilly. That didn't dissuade the enthusiasm of the fliers, or those who had gathered to watch this brilliant sight when thousands of hexagonal-shaped fighter kites took to the sky. Such kites are commonly flown in Japan.
The sky was also filled with multi-lined colourful kites where the fliers were engaged in one-on-one battle to win the competition. They were demonstrating their craftsmanship and expert skills as fliers. The ones who got the most applause were the winners.
Young kids who bundled up on the day had a mighty good time. Some of the volunteers demonstrated how to construct kites to them.
On April 4th, there was a Fireworks Festival on the waterfront in DC to keep the spirit of the festival going.
For this year's great festivity, April 11-14 has been predicted as the peak bloom forecast. The streets of the capital now are filled with thousands of tourists and local people, who come to experience this spectacular happening - a fitting occasion to celebrate Japan-US alliance and goodwill.
On April 11, a Parade will start from the 'iconic' Constitution Avenue and will stretch to ten blocks. Both sides of the Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC will be filled with onlookers to watch the lively parade.
Marching bands from all across the country with colourful costumes will be followed by entertainers and performers. 'Giant colourful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching band from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers will burst down the parade route in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship that is only seen once a year during the festival.'
There are other street jubilees and live performances that are going on. More than two hundred cultural performances and special events have been planned. Various art exhibitions and variety shows are performed throughout the day.
The Japanese street fiesta, Sakura Matsuri provides thirty-five hours of endless fun. This is where the younger people gather most; it focuses on modern Japanese culture.
This year the festival organisers are also hosting Youth Art Exhibition to encourage cultural identities and international friendship. Many students are participating in this project where their own artwork will be on display. Different DC art galleries will also host an assortment of events to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival.
The multiple exhibits will give the gathering crowd a unique opportunity to learn about Japanese spirit and rituals including 'Zen, Tea and Chinese Art in Medieval Japan.' Interested people can also learn how the Japanese artisans make patterns and put colour on ceramics.
The noted international events also include embassy hosted exhibition, showing foreign films and guided walking tours.
A lot of the Washingtonians come for the whole day to enjoy the festival. US park rangers and volunteers make sure that there are plenty of food, merchandises and books available for the visitors.
There will be lot of food vendors to offer authentic American and Japanese cuisine. Area restaurants join in the celebratory mood and in spirit of the occasion they participate in the Cherry Picks Programme and present spring-inspired food and drinks. Some of the examples would be Cherry-bourbon glazed salmon, Sakura tea, a drink called Sparkling Blossom and more. There are plenty of both Japanese and other American foods and non-alcoholic beverages for everyone to enjoy.
A few special events are saved for the evening hours. Some choose to go aboard the Spirit of Washington, a cruise ship for an evening of fun and entertainment with live music, dancing and enjoying a sumptuous buffet dinner, while cruising through the Potomac River.
The Japanese embassy sponsors the annual Lantern Lighting Ceremony. The Cherry Blossom princess from the Japanese embassy first salutes all 50 US princesses, then lights the 300-plus year old Japanese stone lantern. This symbolises the long lasting friendship between the two countries in different continents.
There is a rare opportunity to visit the Japanese embassy by the fifty pageant princesses from each US state. They are greeted by the official Cherry Blossom princess. Then they are treated to a Japanese Tea ceremony that is held in their honour.
The Cherry Blossom Festival ends with a cherry blossom grand black-tie gala. At the gala, the next year's National Cherry Blossom Queen is crowned.

Zeenat Khan is a columnist and a fiction writer.
E-mail: zeenat.khan1983@gmail.com