Celebrate each day as a new beginning with the new Ritual of Sakura

Hanami Matsuri is the ancient Japanse tradition that I wouldn’t mind importing into our European lives: it’s the tradition of flower viewing! Hanami translates as flower viewing, while Matsuri means celebration. Sounds good, right? Poems that celebrated the fragile beauty of the Sakura blossom were recited at flower-viewing parties where the Japanese elite would consume sake and snacks underneath the blossoming boughs of Sakura trees. This is seen as the origin of Hanami in Japan. The ritual of flower viewing, and in particular the dwindling fresh Sakura blossoms that resemble a pink snow storm on windy days, still is a big annual event in Japan today. Depending on the blossoming period Hanami takes place from March till May. The Japanese gather with friends and family underneath the cherry blossoms to have lunch and to marvel at the beauty of flowering Sakura trees. The fragile blossoming flowers are seen as a metaphor for life itself; splendid and beautiful yet brief and fleeting. In other words: life is short, enjoy it while you can and make the most of it. How beautiful is that? My mom lives in the countryside, not far from the most beautiful fruit tree fields. Each season I love to go there to soak up the prettiness of all the flowers, and last year we all got together, sat on a blanket and drank champagne – who knew we were participating in an ancient Japanese tradition 😉

Rituals, my go-to for comforting bath and body cosmetics, has recently updated its best-selling Sakura collection, undoubtedly my favourite of them all. The new luxurious packaging has just landed in stores, with the same sophisticated scent of the Sakura. To celebrate, Rituals is giving away 50 luxe limited edition gift boxes, containing the complete Sakura range plus a véry exclusive kimono. Celebrate along and head over to the LetLifeBlossom mini site , take place in the virtual Blossom Booth, create your own blossoming gif and have a chance to win the entire Sakura range.