Hana means flower, Fubuki means snow storm.

Hanafubuki is a flower snow storm when thousands of cherry blossom petals are blown away by the wind.

Japans Emperor Saga (794 AD) held flower-viewing parties with sake and feasts underneath blossoming Sakura trees in Kyotos Imperial Court.

Poems would be written praising the delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor for life;

“Luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral.”

The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to samurai and eventually all of society.

Blossom forecasts are broadcast by the Japanese national weather bureau.

Since the blossoms only last a week or two the reports are watched closely by those planning Hanami viewing parties.

In 1912 Japan gave 3,000 Sakura trees as a gift to the United States to celebrate our nations’ friendship.

The trees were planted in Washington, D.C. and 3,800 additional trees were donated in 1965.

Macon Georgia, is considered the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World” and has 300,000 Sakura trees growing there.