We didn't have any family traditions growing up, so when my sister and I lived together for a while in NYC, we invented a few. First we discovered leaf-peeping in the fall (I never heard of this until I moved here), and then we wondered if there was something similar in the spring. So we discovered hanami, "flower viewing," though usually referring to cherry blossoms. In Brooklyn, theres the Sakura Matsura festival centered around the trees, and is basically a giant, fun cosplay photoshoot.
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| from google image search |
I don't really like the crowds, and prefer not to share the trees, so we usually go when the festival isn't going on.
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| Booklyn Botanical Gardens 2010...going for the Victorian gentleman look here. Magnolia tree |
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| Not pissed...this is what my face looks like. Magnolia trees. |
Washington DC has the greatest cherry blossom walk in the country. We traveled just to see the trees in 2012
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| If I write a political thriller, this will be my author photo |
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| I bought a fancy film SLR for the trip. The first photo is also with this camera. |
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| a happy accident in the film development. |
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| 2013, back at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden |
A dedicated hanami outfit has been on my to-buy list forever. I had a few ideas in the first polyvore set up there. A few tips if you want to hanami
- Bring a pretty coat...it's still early spring, so probably cold. You'll be outside all day. IMPORTANT! I had the coolest outfit in Washington, but I was so cold so I ended up wearing everything I packed.
- Don't hog the tree.
- Fancy styles work well
- You know your photo background is going to be light pink and white...match your colors accordingly.
- Trees provide shade, shade provides terrible lighting. Find a sunny spot or bring a tripod.
Here's a polyvore set I made that's a more literal interpretation of the blossoms. With kimonos coming in style and it being spring, you'd think there would be a cherry blossom kimono. But no.
This is definitely my favorite spring tradition...I like it much more than Easter. Fertility...gross. The religious connotation...also not cool (yes I know it was originally pagan...still...co-opted). This is tradition of just appreciating the simple beauty of flowers and spring.
What are your favorite spring traditions?
