#NipClub: National Cherry Blossom Festival Celebration #Nipclub Thursday, March 27, 2025

March 23, 2025

National Cherry Blossom Festival Celebration #Nipclub Thursday, March 27, 2025

Please drop any $ you can into the Tip Jar to help pets at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Every penny helps! Thanks!

The 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. is from March 20th to April 13th, so we are celebrating this week at #Nipclub!

Washington D.C. has about 3,800 cherry blossom trees now. Most of the trees are Yoshino and Kwanzan. Some places you can see the trees include near the Tidal Basin, along the National Mall, North of the Lincoln Memorial, and near the Washington Monument.

Here's Ten Interesting Facts about Cherry Blossom Trees and the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival:

1. Cherry blossoms symbolize renewal. They're also a symbol of spring.

2. The first US cherry blossom trees in D.C. were planted in 1912. Japan sent 3,000+ trees (12 varieties) as of gift of friendship.

3. The Japanese cherry blossom is known as 'sakura,' which means "to bloom" or "smile."

4. Picknicking beneath the cherry blossom trees in Japan is a century-old custom in Japan known as 'hanami,' which means "flower viewing."

5. The cherry blossom colors can range from pale to bright pink or white to ivory.

6. The trees are cultivated for their blossoms, not fruit. They sometimes produce cherries in the summer. They aren't edible for humans but the birds love them.

7. The National Park Service (NPS) makes the bloom prediction in March every year.

8. Once the trees flower, the blooms only last a week. The petals fall and carpet the ground with pink.

9. Removing a cherry blossom or tree branch in D.C. is considered vandalism of federal property, which can lead to a citation or arrest.

10. Fun fact: Washington, D.C. does not have the most cherry blossom trees in the world. Neither does Japan. Macon, Georgia is home to approximately 350,000 cherry blossom trees which gives them the title of the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World." They also host the International Cherry Blossom Festival annually in March.

Bea looks lovely in pink!

Tiggy looks so handsome!

@KConlon1's Jonas is enjoying the blossoms!

This week's menu is a combination of some favorite Japanese foods and some cherry blossom-themed yummy concoctions.

Noms and Drinks

Chicken Katsu Ramen