Japanese+Festivals

Welcome to Jason and Zack's Japanese project about Japanese festivals and ceremonies.



Shichi-Go-San　しち ご さん

Shichi Go San, or 7, 5, 3 day is annually held on November 15, and it a holiday where kids are celebrated for passing into middle childhood. This holiday is for girls who are 3 or 7, and boys who are 5. This holiday is celebrated by having the children dress up in Kimonos and the parents taking them to visit the Shinto shrine, which some believe to be similar to the Christian baptism. At the Shinto shrine the children receive Chitose Ame 千歳飴, which directly translates to thousand year candy. The candies come in a beautiful bag with illustrations of cranes and turtles, two animals that represent longevity in Japan. When this ceremony originated from the Heian period, the numbers 3, 5, and 7 were chosen because according to Japanese numerology odd numbers are lucky. These numbers are also important in a Japanese kid's life because at the age of 7 most girls are likely to where their first Obi, a long sash which women where on their Kimonos, and for boys at the age of 5 it is their first public display of their Hakama pants. The boys traditionally wear Haori jackets and Hakama pants, but recently more boys have been seen wearing Western style formal wear.

Children's day こどもの日 Children's day is a holiday celebrated all around the world on May 5. This date was chosen because it is the fifth day of the fifth moon in the lunar calendar. This holiday is otherwise known as Tango no Sekku たんごのせっく　or Sobu no Sekku そぶのせっく. Sobu no Sekku which means Iris Festival, they named it this because an Iris leaf is sharp and straight and parents hoped that their sons could grow up with courage and strength. Tango no Sekku たんごのせっく has its roots in China but it has changed dramatically over the years. This holiday was originally meant only for boys, to celebrate their future success and health, but they decided to incorporate girls into this holiday because the celebration day for girls was not a national holiday. During this holiday there is no school. Kids also receive presents from their parents on this day so kids naturally love this holiday. Kites called Koinobori, こいのぼり are flown on this day and tied to rooftops and flagpoles. They are shaped like windsocks, are made of cloth and sometimes paper, and they can come in colors of black, red, blue, gold, and sometimes orange or purple. In some homes there is 1 kite for each member in the family starting from top down with the father. The Koinobori represents strength, determination kind of in the way that the kite travels against the stream, and they are believed to ward off evil spirits. Other than the Koinobori, dolls of warriors are displayed in most homes. Another tradition carried out on Kodomo no hi, is the eating of kashiwamochi かしわもち　which is a sticky rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in oak or bamboo leaves. The oak and bamboo leaves are used because they symbolize strength and success in life. As population rises and there are more families living in apartments they carry on with the kite hanging and doll display by using their balcony.



Setsubun せつぶん

Setsubun, also known as the bean throwing festival happens ﻿on the beginning of each new season in japan but is usually celebrated on February the 3rd or 4th. This is one day before the start of spring. The spring Setsubun is almost like a new years eve and the day is celebrated with a special ritual to cleanse away all evil of the former year. The ritual is called Mamemaki which translates to bean throwing. The bean throwing is usually done by the toshiotoko who is the male of the house born on the corresponding animal year on the chinese zodiac. If there are no males born on that year then the male head of the household will throw the beans. The beans that are thrown are called fuku mame. they are roasted soybeans and are thrown out the door or at someone wearing the oni mask. Oni translates to demon or ogre. The people who throw the beans chant, "oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi"! This roughly translates to demons out luck in. The beans are thought to symbolically cleanse or purify the home and drive away all bad luck and health that's brought in with evil spirits. After throwing the beans people eat them, one for each year of their life, sometimes a extra for the year to come to bring good luck



﻿shogatsu しょがつ  Shogatsu is thought to be the most important holiday in Japan. This holiday lasts from January 1st to 3rd. School and business's are closed for one to two weeks and people return to their families. Homes are decorated but first they are cleaned. The most common decorations are bamboo and pine. People view this holiday as a fresh start and try to pay off all debts and finish any unfinished business. Just like in North America people try to stay awake till midnight. toshikoshi which is a long buckwheat noodle is eaten, it symbolizes long life. The first day of the new year lots of japanese people go to shrines and pray for good luck or buy good luck charms.



culture day 文化の日

Culture day is a holiday to promote culture and art. The holiday is on November 3rd and is celebrated with many parades, art galleries, and award ceremonies. This holiday was first celebrated in 1948 after the announcement of the postwar japanese constitution. Every day on this year the japanese government gives out　ぶんか　くんしょ　(bunka kunsho), the highest rank of culture award to a few people who devoted their lives to promoting japanese culture. Many other awards will be given out to thousands of people who contributed to Japans culture. Over the past 100 years November third has had the highest record of clear skies with only three accounts of rainy weather.



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