In the early 1900s the Japanese government gifted 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the U.S. that were planted in Washington D.C. Now, every spring, there is a cherry blossom festival to honor the gift from the Japanese. This year it starts on March 20th and ends on April 13th. During the festival, many people from all over come to participate in the festivities. The weeks are filled with lots of fun activities, all of them, of course, having to do with cherry blossoms. The Library of Congress informs people of Japanese culture, local restaurants have cherry blossom themed menu items, there are cherry blossom concerts, and there’s even a Blossom Kite Festival. There’s also a few walks and runs through the National Mall so that people have the chance to enjoy the beautiful blooming trees. This year the peak bloom is estimated to happen around April 3rd – 6th. Unfortunately, Heritage’s spring break is from April 15th – 19th, so students wouldn’t be able to visit the cherry blossoms during peak bloom. On the bright side, the Monday before spring break is a student holiday, and April 6th is a Saturday, so Heritage goers would still be able to see a little bit of the beautiful blossoms at their peak. For those who go to the cherry blossom festival, remember to be safe, have fun, and don’t pick the cherry blossoms because that’s illegal.