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Daily Life: Festival
Seasons
Although there are no explicit gender codes connected to seasons, the seasons nevertheless shape an essential component in the life of Japanese women. Such is seen through the kimonos that women wear in coordination with the months. Winter calls for more muted colors while warmer months bring out brighter colors. For instance, green and purple are popular for January, while dark blue is worn in October. Motifs are important as well, as cherry blossoms are found in the spring, trout in the summer, maple leaves in autumn, and snowflakes in the winter.
In addition, the seasons of Japan are inextricably linked to the festivals and holidays that occur during specific months. With roots going back to traditional Japan, the seasons are still celebrated today. 
Spring: Cherry Blossom Viewing
A tradition almost 2,000 years old, hanami, or cherry blossom viewing parties, celebrate the annual transition from winter into spring. In groups, spectators convene together in the presence of the sakura blossom to feast, dance, and drink. Fragile, fleeting, and lasting little more than a week, cherry blossoms have become synonymous with the transient state of life and the reminder one's own mortality. Once enjoyed exclusively by the privileged classes, sakura and hanami eventually became democratized for the masses. By the Edo period (1615-1867 A.D.), ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicted the recurring themes of the cherry blossoms in the presence of commoners.
The picture on the right comes from the Edo period. It depicts a man and a woman, in spring kimonos, standing in front of a background of cherry blossoms.
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