Hanami
/ˌhɑːnəˈmiː/noun
The Japanese custom of viewing and appreciating flowers, especially cherry blossoms.
Did you know?Japan’s earliest aristocratic flower-viewing parties often celebrated plum blossoms rather than cherry blossoms; cherry-blossom hanami became dominant later.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Old Japanese
hana
“Flower or blossom”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
miru
“To see, look at, or observe”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
hana-mi
“The viewing or appreciation of flowers”
Edo Period
Japanese
花見
“A flower-viewing outing, increasingly associated with cherry blossoms”
20th Century
English
hanami
“A Japanese custom of viewing cherry blossoms, adopted as an English loanword”