[Notari Almanac] Lunar Calendar / 24 Solar Terms / 72 Micro-seasons - The Peach Tree Begins to Smile

The Peach Tree Begins to Smile (Momo hajimete warau)

Around March 10th, peach blossoms begin to bloom.
The plum blossoms are over, and the cherry blossoms are not yet here.
As if to gently fill that transitional period,
only the peach trees bloom with dense, crimson flowers.
In the 72 micro-seasons, this period is called "The Peach Tree Begins to Smile."

You might think, "Wait, flowers smile?"
But the more you learn about it, the more you feel there is no more perfect expression. Why don't you join me today for a walk through the world of the peach tree beginning to smile?

The richness of the archaic word "emu" (to smile/bloom)

In archaic Japanese, the word "emu" (to smile)
did not just refer to the way a person smiles.

The state of a plant's bud opening to reveal the petals inside
was also expressed with the same word, "emu." When you think about it, they are indeed similar.
— A closed mouth relaxes, and white teeth peek through.
— A tightly closed bud splits, and crimson petals peek through.

To the eyes of the ancients, those two things appeared as the same "expression of joy."

There was a time when "to bloom" and "to smile" were treated
as the same kanji character.

When you learn about such a history of language, you feel that the boundary between nature and humans
was much more ambiguous.

Instead of "Oh, it's blooming," you start to see it as,
"Oh, it's smiling."

It is a mysterious thing, isn't it?

How do you feel about the sensation of a flower "smiling"?

What is the peach tree beginning to smile?

The peach tree beginning to smile is the eighth of the 72 micro-seasons.
As the second micro-season of the 24 solar term "Keichitsu" (Insects Awaken),
it falls around March 10th to March 14th.

Keichitsu is the time when "insects that were sleeping in the soil wake up."
What comes next is the season when the peach trees begin to smile.
Insects emerge from the ground, and on the surface, the peach trees smile.
The exhilaration of spring, when all things begin to move, is condensed into these short five days.

By the way, in the original Chinese calendar, this season was
"Cang Geng Ming"—the season when the bush warbler sings.
It seems that when it was rewritten to fit Japan's climate, a "visually dramatic change (the blooming of peach blossoms)" was chosen over an "auditory phenomenon (the singing of birds)."

Plum (early spring) → Peach (mid-spring) → Cherry (late spring).
The fact that this relay of flowers is incorporated into the calendar
shows the desire of our ancestors to savor spring in stages.

Peach blossoms in Waka poetry

How have peach blossoms been described in Waka poetry?

The color of the peach blossoms becomes light that illuminates the ground,
making even the person standing there shine.

"Shitateru" (shining down)—I love this word.

It's not just that the flowers are shining.
That radiance descends to the ground,
and the people walking the path are also enveloped in that light.

After a long, cold winter, the peach blossoms bloom,
and the figure of a young girl appears
even more radiant in the warm spring sunshine.
That is the meaning I feel in it.

When I see the peach blossoms blooming,
I feel as if even the color of the sky at spring dawn
is dyed in the same peach color as the flowers.

From the achromatic world of winter, to a world rich in color all at once.

The joy of that transition
is captured in the exaggeration that even the color of the sky changes.

Peach Blossoms and the Doll Festival - "Peach Festival"

Peach blossoms and the Doll Festival have a deep, inseparable connection.
The reason the Doll Festival is called the "Peach Festival" is not just because their blooming seasons overlap, but because of ideas and beliefs passed down from ancient China.
Peach trees have long been believed to possess sacred power to ward off evil spirits and bring longevity.

Also, because peach trees have great vitality and bear many fruits, they are symbols of "prosperity" and "longevity."

The Makabe Hina Matsuri is held every year in Sakuragawa City, next to Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
The Makabe district is a wonderful town full of historical charm, with old folk houses and storehouses remaining.
On March 3rd, although it was unfortunately raining, a local resident
showed me around the town of Makabe.

Bookstores, clothing stores, sake breweries, and others display
the "Hina dolls" that their families are proud of and have passed down for generations,
and you can view them freely.

This is a popular spot inside the storehouse of Nishioka Honten, a sake brewery in Makabe,
where many Hina dolls are displayed with magical lighting,
making it a guaranteed Instagram-worthy spot.
After viewing them, I was treated to warm and delicious amazake.
Next year, I would like to wear a kimono and stroll through the town.

Something I have been practicing recently

Recently, when I look at flowers,
I have been consciously trying to receive them with the word "smiling."

Not "blooming," but "smiling."

I feel like just this changes the sense of distance between me and the flowers.

It's as if the flowers are coming over to "my side."
The next time you see a flower, try whispering, "It's smiling,"
and your feelings might soften a little.

Have you ever tried talking to a flower?
What words suddenly came to your lips?

Conclusion

The 72 micro-seasons change approximately every five days.

“Peach blossoms begin to smile” is around March 10th to 14th. For these five days only, try spending your time while being conscious that “now is the time when peach blossoms begin to smile.”

Try looking for peach blossoms (or flowers of a similar color) on your commute or in a nearby park.

There are moments when the calendar, nature, and your daily life overlap just a little.

I feel that is the beauty of the 72 micro-seasons.

What kind of “smile” did you find this spring?

Whether it is “I thought this flower looked like it was smiling,” or “It wasn't a peach blossom, but I saw this flower.”

I would be very happy if you could tell me in the comments. Your spring discoveries will be the strength for me to write the next article.

To the next micro-season—Caterpillars become butterflies

From around March 15th, it will be the next micro-season, “Caterpillars become butterflies.”

It is the time when green caterpillars that were eating vegetable leaves are reborn as butterflies.

Peach blossoms begin to smile, insects emerge from the ground, and caterpillars become butterflies—

Spring is truly a season of transformation, isn't it?

Let's look forward to the next micro-season together.