Anika Isabella

Here is an essay I wrote on the National Cherry Blossom Festival. There will also be some pictures:

The national cherry blossom festival is a celebration of the blooming cherry trees that happens once a year. It symbolizes America and Japan’s friendship. I will tell you tons about it.

The cherry blossom festival lasts 2 weeks in the spring every year. On the last day, there is a huge parade. It happens in a park called “National Mall & Memorial Parks” in D.C. People look at cherry blossoms, take pictures, walk around, chat, and if they are thirsty or hungry, there is Japanese food and drinks. There are also activities & gift shops.

The cherry blossom’s history is very surprising. I will tell you about it. It all started in 1885. A lady named Mrs. Eliza Scidmore made a request to have Japanese cherry blossoms near the Potomac River. A few years later a man named Dr. David Fairchild tested the cherry blossoms on his own land. Together they got the help of First Lady Taft and got a gift of 2,000 trees. Unfortunately, the trees had a disease and had to be burned. Then another gift was offered of 3,020 trees and it was accepted. They landed without any diseases. Then the cherry blossom festival was created,but it didn’t last for long. Soon World War II came. Japan and America were in war together and they bombed each other. It all led up to no cherry blossom festival. Once the war was over, America and Japan made up. America gave trees to Japan to fill in for ones that had been destroyed in a flood. Best of all, the cherry blossom festival continued with new things like a cherry blossom princess. Each year now, a cherry blossom princess is chosen and gets to be crowned with a crown that is 2 lbs. of gold and contains 1,589 pearls! It is a beauty.

I have been to the cherry blossom festival before so now I will tell you about my experience. I went there on a beautiful, sunny, warm day. I got pictures taken of me, my parents took video of me, I looked at cherry blossoms, I played a game, and best of all, I had a great time. I saw tons of people, food stands, kids doing activities, cherry blossoms (of course), and beautiful monuments.

Well there you have it, a handful of information on cherry blossoms. As I told you, the festival is in the National Mall and Memorial Parks (a park in D.C.) if you would like to visit. Please do.

A cherry blossom tree in front of the Washington Memorial.

Me, my aunt and my brother playing a game.

Me in front of the Capitol building.

Me in front of the Tidal Basin and Thomas Jefferson Memorial.