Japanese Culture & Traditions
Thank for your interest in Japanese Culture & Traditions. Have you visited my other pages, such as Introducing Mary Ohno, Kabuki Academy, and Japanese Language?
On this page, I would like to introduce you to timely Japanese culture and/or traditional events. Almost every month we Japanese have an event to celebrate and I'm positive that you want to know what it is all about. You can visit this page every month and find it out.
The topic of September is
"KEIRO NO HI"
or "Respect-for-the-Aged Day"
&
"SHUUBUN NO HI"
or "Autumnal Equinox Day
"KEIRO NO HI" is a National Holiday and it's
on September 15, for showing respect and
affection for the elderly who have devoted
themselves to the society for so many years,
and for celebrating their long life.
The elderly are invited to entertainments and
given nice gifts such as sweater or muffler
from their cities, town and village. Some cities
and municipalities present them with a cash bonus
of about five thousand yen ($50). In the family,
granddaughters or grandsons give nice presents
to their grandfathers and grandmothers.
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"SHUUBUN NO HI" means Autumnal Equinox Day
or "HIGAN" is the equinoctial week. In Buddhist
terms, it is the time when people can meet their
ancestors. During these weeks in spring (Vernal
Equinox) and fall, people pay a respectful visit to
their ancestors at their family graves. They tidy
up the graves and offer flowers, incense, and food
there. "Ohagi" (rice balls covered with sweet bean
paste) are the most common food to be eaten on
these occasions. This ceremony is said to have
been initiated by Prince Shotoku(574-622) during
the seventh century, and it seems to have been
practiced by all Japanese families, regardless of
their religion. As an old saying goes that "No heat
or cold lasts over the equinox" . Higan also suggests
a change of seasons. The warm season or cold season
will begin right after the equinox days.
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