The Story of March Cherry Blossoms – Sakura, the Bright and Cherry Blossom Viewing
When the spring breeze blows softly, what do we always think of? Cherry blossom viewing, of course. In Hwatu, the March card is the star. With a gorgeous bunch of cherry blossoms and even a red ribbon wrapped around it, it may be the most ‘springlike’ card of all the Hwatu cards.
March Bright (cherry blossoms and curtain)
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March Red Ribbon (red ribbon)
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Sakura? Cherry Blossoms? Let’s Start with the Name
Some people say “Sakura!” when they play Hwatu. Sakura (さくら) is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms. Because Hwatu came from Japanese Hanafuda (花札), the word is known to have stuck and been handed down. Nowadays you can call it by the Korean name, March Cherry Blossoms.
When Do Cherry Blossoms Bloom?
It differs from year to year, but in Korea cherry blossoms are generally known to start blooming around the end of March in the southern regions and move northward. Around Seoul it is usually early April. So why is Hwatu’s cherry blossom card in March?
The months of Hwatu are known to have been set by the old calendar (the lunar calendar). In many years, March on the old calendar falls around April on today’s calendar, so it roughly matches the peak of the cherry blossoms. This is a calendar explanation, so just keep in mind that it differs a little from year to year.
Hidden Picture Hunt: Taking a Closer Look at the March Bright
- Full-bloomed cherry blossom clusters cover the very top. In the middle of the petals are little yellow dots!
- Below that you can see a red ribbon and black cloth wrapped around it. There is a story that interprets it as a picture of the curtain that people who came out to view the flowers used to hang around themselves.
- The 光 mark in the corner means it is a Bright card.
Here is a question! A drink under the cherry blossoms, a song inside the curtain — can you imagine that? In Japan, gathering under cherry blossoms to enjoy flower viewing is called ‘hanami’. People say that atmosphere is captured in this card. But this, too, is just an interpretation that has been handed down.
The Rest of the March Cards
The four March cards are one Bright, one Red Ribbon and two Junk. The ribbon has cherry blossoms on it, and the two Junk cards show tangled flower branches. The shape of the branches is gorgeous and catches the eye right away.
March Junk
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March Junk
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The March Cards in Action in the Game
- Bright: The March Bright is also one of the 5 Brights. 3 Brights give 3 pts (2 pts if the Rain Bright is included), 4 Brights give 4 pts, and 5 Brights give 20 pts.
- Red Ribbons: Collecting all 3 red ribbons of January, February and March adds 3 pts. The March Red Ribbon is often the last card needed.
- Junk: Points start from a Junk total of 10.
If you hold both the January Bright and the March Bright, your Bright score gets closer, doesn’t it? Read The Story of January Songhak too. If you win with Brights when your opponent has no Bright score, the opponent may suffer a ‘Bright Penalty (Gwang-bak)’, so Brights are worth wanting.
A Little Cherry Blossom Anecdote
When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in spring, people say, “I went to see the flowers but only saw people.” A Hwatu game is similar. If you were aiming for the March Bright and someone grabs it first, you laugh, “Oh my, I went to see the flowers and only saw people!” With this much laughter, you have spent a spring well.
