What's the deal with cherry blossoms?

Submitted by rungreyt t3_123cwij in washingtondc

I grew up in the DMV and never understood the hype behind the cherry blossoms besides them being a gift from Japan. Someone once told me only D.C. had them (besides Japan) so that made me understand the craze a tiny bit. But I've traveled to many cities as an adult and I've seen cherry blossoms in nearly all of them. Even Baltimore has a lot of cherry blossoms. I don't want to sound like a hater but I'm just curious if there's something more to these cherry blossoms in D.C.? Most D.C. natives I know don't get the big deal about them either.

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A_Swell_Gaytheist t1_jduaak4 wrote

The Tidal Basin area is already a major tourist draw in and of itself even without the blossoms. Add in the trees - of which there are thousands - and it’s a no brainer. No one is suggesting they’re unique to DC, it’s simply the backdrop and volume of blooms.

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rungreyt OP t1_jdvedch wrote

I see. I guess I've just seen a difference between how D.C and other cities treat their cherry blossoms and I was curious if there was an added significance in D.C.

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ustreetlove t1_jdui7ks wrote

Cherry blossoms are the "you had to be there" of spring blooms. They're beautiful, if only for a moment. Give it a week or two and they'll be a dull green with no more flower petals.

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crossedtherubicon20 t1_jduw2aw wrote

Having not grown up in DC or the DMV and only learning of cherry blossoms once moving to the area, the hype is around the backdrop of monuments, it’s our nation’s Capitol, the added historical significance of coming from Japan (before we went to war with them).

It’s many layers. And the concentration of trees.

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AssumptionSlow76 t1_jduxm3f wrote

It’s also the start of spring so I think even though it was a mild winter everyone wants to get out of the house and seeing the trees change is pretty. Also a lot of the events are really fun I had a blast at the kite festival with a picnic further down the mall and didn’t have to deal with any crowds, but still saw kites. Dacha and metro bar yappy hours are something I’m looking forward to. They usually get some fun bands at petalpalooza. I guess I also associate it with the beginning of outdoor events for the spring/summer.

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rungreyt OP t1_jdvdmkb wrote

Sounds like they create a lot of events around it too.

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corndogblaster t1_jduweim wrote

They are very pretty trees in full bloom but I agree; overhyped and not worth getting stuck in crowds to see.

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rungreyt OP t1_jdvelmy wrote

Tons of neighborhoods and parks have cherry blossom trees. I don't understand the need to travel to see them but I can see now why someone would want to go to the Tidal Basin and be at the surrounding events.

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wtf703 t1_jdvl3dh wrote

I also grew up in the area and it seems like in recent years people care about them way more than they used to. I'm convinced social media has made the crowds way bigger. Everyone wants an instagram them, and news about the bloom spreads faster online than it used to.

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klubkouture t1_jdulrf2 wrote

Agreed, and I went to tidal basin ~ a dozen times on a season pass last year. All cities have a tree.

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DC-DE t1_jduxk1y wrote

Having met a Japanese tourist at Daikaya on Friday, the DC blossoms are a bit over hyped and aren't that special for someone coming from Japan.

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swampoodler t1_jdv5exg wrote

They are definitely in other places besides Japan and DC.

But they’re pretty anywhere.

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magnoliabluebonnet t1_jdvcv90 wrote

They’re pretty, here for a short time, concentrated in a big tourist area, and they’re out when the weather is nice. Not complicated.

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rungreyt OP t1_jdvdywb wrote

I guess it's a thing for some people, not a thing for others. I just haven't seen other cities make as big a deal of it as DC does. So I was curious if I was missing something.

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no__scrubs t1_jdvekj6 wrote

the dc ones are a gift from Japan, others in other cities were bought and gifted by rich americans who wanted them

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rightupyourali t1_jdvhtpm wrote

Yes, was going to say, the ones in DC have particular historical significance.

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[deleted] t1_jdu74zf wrote

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rungreyt OP t1_jdu7p72 wrote

Besides the hype, I feel like no other city has created an identity around cherry blossoms like DC has. All our sports teams have cherry blossom jerseys. Our metro cards and trains have cherry blossom designs. You'd think cherry blossoms were native to D.C but they're literally found in almost every other American city. I really don't understand it. There's much more culture and truly interesting things unique to D.C that I would think people would find much more interesting.

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keyjan t1_jduwgg5 wrote

> All our sports teams have cherry blossom jerseys. Our metro cards and trains have cherry blossom designs.

Right, they’re seasonal. The Caps team store was selling green jerseys for St Patrick's day. The farecards are limited editions (like the World Series and Stanley Cup ones). This town gets a lot of money from tourism; this is just one more thing.

Ash Wednesday happens all over the country, too, so how come New Orleans makes such a big deal of the day before?

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rungreyt OP t1_jdve7uj wrote

I don't think New Orlean sports teams have Ash Wednesday jerseys or an Ash Wednesday half marathon lol. But I see: tourism. I was just wondering if there was added significance coming to D.C to see the cherry blossoms rather than your local park, which likely has them too.

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keyjan t1_jdw0ths wrote

no, the day before is mardi gras.

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MoreCleverUserName t1_jdurjcn wrote

but this is what people always want to come see, so instead of trying to change their minds, the City and Metro and the sports teams — who are mostly owned by the same guy— are just leaning into it.
BTW the Festival itself is awesome— the parade, all the dance exhibitions, the art installations. It’s not just a bunch of people standing around looking at some trees. It just doesn’t always align to peak bloom because these things are planned so far in advance,

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rungreyt OP t1_jdvdud0 wrote

I'm seeing that it's all of the events that are also built around the cherry blossoms.

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