40 . ii. variant read the text hanami: a flowering celebration! the beginning of spring (march-april) is a very special time in japan, because this is when japan’s famous cherry trees come into flower. the japanese celebrate this happy time with festivals and flower-viewing parties. at the end of winter, everyone’s excitement starts to grow. the hole country wants to know the exact day when the cherry flowers (“sakura”) will appear. starting in february, weathermen try to guess when this day will be. when the first flowers open on the trees, national joy breaks out. there are rides and games for children in the streets, music and dance performances, tea ceremonies, flower displays, and much more. but the most special thing that people do at this time is have “hanami” parties. hanami means flower watching. inhanami parties, families and friends take a picnic and go and sit under a cherry tree to look and admire the flowers. hanami parties take place during the daytime and also at night, because when it is dark, lights light up the cherry trees. answer the questions how do the japanese celebrate the beginning of spring? how is the cherry called in japan? why are the people excited at the end of winter? what events take place when the first flowers open on the trees? what is the most special thing at this time? what does the word hanami mean? what do the families do on this party? do this parties take place only during daytime? how long do the cherry blossoms live? what do the cherry blossoms symbolize? mark the sentences t(true), f(false) or ns(not stated). the japanese don’t like the hanami. the sakura berries are very delicious. the families sit under a cherry tree and admire the flowers. when it is dark, lights light up the houses. cherry blossoms appear on the trees for a very long time.