Cherry blossom tree in Japan and one broken heart.

Though most widely celebrated in Japan, hanami celebrations have become popular around the world in recent decades. Some of the most popular cherry blossom celebrations in the United States occur in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Macon, Boston and Brooklyn. Here's hoping you get out and enjoy them this spring -- perhaps, even, with a little more history than before.

Yep, think again before you decide to pluck one of these pink beauties. Removing a blossom or branch is considered vandalism of federal property in Washington, D.C., which can lead to a citation or even an arrest.

While D.C. is one of the most popular places to travel during cherry blossom season, you can also see the pretty pink blooms around the country. People flock to see the pink petals around Boston's Charles River, the Cherry Blossom Walk in Nashville, the Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival in New York City, and the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis to name a few.

The cherry blossoms and the leaves are edible and used in many traditional Japanese sweets and tea. They are first pickled and then used in recipes for mochi cakes, candies, and even cookies. You can also brew sakura blossom tea or make cocktails with preserved blossoms.

Want to catch cherry blossoms in all their glory? You'll want to wait until March, when bloom predictions are made by the National Park Service, to plan your trip.

Though there are hundreds of different types of cherry trees, Yoshino cherry trees are the most popular.

While it is widely believed that cherry blossoms originated somewhere in Eurasia -- Himalayas, scholars speculate -- cherry blossoms immigrated to Japan some time several thousand years ago and spread throughout the country before the prehistoric age. Now, more than 300 varieties of the sakura -- or cherry blossom -- trees exist in Japan due to centuries of hybridization.

The celebrations made their way down through the samurai to the common people, and the parties became very popular with all members and classes of Japanese society. Centuries later, the tree remains a sacred important cultural symbol in the country, and the traditions largely unchanged.

This era of Japan is notable by its visual impact, an area of life that the women had the most influence upon their society at the time and that influence has continued within Japan today. Beauty, in all things, was considered of utmost importance: in language, the written word, the spoken word, the costume, gardens, and in the very essence of the culture.

Mono no aware, a term coined in the 19th century by Motoori Norinaga in regards to the Heian concept of beauty, best describes the Heian thoughts of beauty. “Beauty is precious because it is brief” (Hooker, 1999). The term aware during the Heian era represented sensitivity to things ranging from beauty to sadness, life, love or death.

In the letters, diaries, literature and poetry, the fashion stands out and is the most obvious and most scrutinized aspect of Heian beauty personified.

Sakura was a beautiful and young goddess who never believed in love. She thought it was very ridiculous to believe two people can be meant for each other or wanting to live together.

As Sakura was strolling around Lolita, the land for gods and goddesses, she came upon a god which had the most lovely appearance ever, he had eye's as sparkly as sequins and a muscular body. She had met the love of her life, and she thought for a minute maybe love is real, maybe she didn't think straight. He was called Garret and he was known as the most handsome god ever. They became the loveliest couple that they decided to get married.

But unfortunately, the day of the wedding Sakura died of a disease called heart disease. Garret was distraught and devastated so in memory of Sakura he made a tree just for her with sakura leaves and the fruit colour of her hair. He called it Beauty Tree. He always wanted to remember how beautiful she was.

Memories of Geisha

In the years before World War II, a Japanese child is torn from her penniless family to work as a maid in a geisha house. She is a dancer, a musician and a woman without a lot of choices. Her virginity is sold to the highest bidder for a record sum, earning her a place in geisha history.

Despite a treacherous rival who nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms into the legendary geisha Sayuri. Beautiful and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man who is out of her reach.

Fashion and beauty

Lolita fashion is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing, but the style has expanded greatly beyond Japan. All about Gothic Lolita, Classic Lolita, Sweet Lolita.

Kimono PINK pinku (ピンク)

Pink is considered a youthful and fresh colour. It symbolises good health, vitality and femininity. Pink is the colour linked to spring and because of this it is a popular choice for Kimono and clothing worn during the springtime or cherry blossom season.

The traditional white base makeup was, the red lipstick and red, as cherry fruit blossom tree, and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows are typical Geisha makeup. The traditional white base makeup was originally made with harmful lead or rice powder.

Today, May 2020

The dean of the College of Public Health at National Taiwan University described the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday as a bomb-free World War III, in which the virus is an enemy that cannot be eradicated.

"The pandemic is changing the world" in many ways, such as business behavior and how people interact with each other, said Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) in a speech at the Central News Agency, Taiwan's national news service.

In the past, only wars could drive countries to stop people from coming in or going out, he said, but now, because of the virus, many countries have "built walls."

A Pandemic is sometimes more global, affecting the whole country or even the whole world, and relates to the disease is widely spread geographically.

What is social distancing?

Social distancing should be practised by everyone, whether or not exposed to the virus.

This broad set of measures includes avoiding handshakes, crowns, staying at the least2 meters (6 feet) away from people, and most importantly, staying at home if you feel sick.

What's the physical quarantine?

Quarantines are put on groups and communities to separate and restrict the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

Quarantine

Healthy person

Exposed

Staying at home +away from others

Isolation

Known case

Sick (even mild symptoms)

Staying at home + away from others

What is isolation?

A diagnosis of Covid-19 triggers isolation. Isolation is for those who are already sick and severs to keep in infected away from healthy people in order to stop the spread of the virus.

“Perhaps someday I’ll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow.”

Sylvia Plath

“Life is so full of unpredictable beauty and strange surprises. Sometimes that beauty is too much for me to handle. Do you know that feeling? When something is just too beautiful? When someone says something or writes something or plays something that moves you to the point of tears, maybe even changes you.” ― Mark Oliver Everett, Things The Grandchildren Should Know.

Take Your Time

Breaking up can trigger chemical, emotional and physical reactions that cause you to feel lonely, unloveable, depressed, and worthless.

That’s not just going to go away with a new haircut, maxing out your Visa with a new wardrobe, or hitting the club. Instead of pushing yourself to move forward quickly, take time to acknowledge how you are feeling. Bottling up your emotions may seem like a good idea in the short term, but it can lead to unwanted long-term consequences, such as bitterness, a jaded view of relationships, fear, depression, a poor self-image, and serial dating. Your feelings are valid. Whether you were convinced that your ex was “the one,” even though he clearly wasn’t to your friends and family, doesn’t matter. Your thoughts might be distorted, but your feelings are real. Take the time you need to explore them.