Petals fall and boughs shake in the wind as festival-goers meander along the winding sidewalks bordered by cherry blossom trees. It's the seventh day in the two-week long Cherry Blossom Festival, and it's as active as ever.
Originating with the planting ceremony of cherry blossom trees in Earth's Washington, D.C. on March 27th, 1912, the first festival was held in 1934, and the tradition has continued with only one interruption since then. Today marks the 271st festival, and the 299th anniversary of the trees' planting.
"It's such a thrill to know that the tradition is still running strong after so many years," said Eliza Ozaki, a city native and one of the principal organizers of the event. "It's such a strong symbol of our unity."
Though the festival enjoys considerable recognition on Earth, its presence is also felt in her outlying regions colonies. The recently established New Plymouth features a growing blossom grove in its equally expansive capital, and some of the largest UN-affiliated trade stations have taken to harboring trees in their botanical wings.
Such a sign of species unity is a welcome sight in the wake of recent Final Crucible attacks, which saw the loss of numerous military and civilian personnel in a battle over Mercury, and the subsequent wave of arrests performed on undercover cultist spies.
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