[Menu]>[Traditional Custom]


Traditional event of Japan (2)



Girl's Festival
Doll

March 3rd is the day to celebrate the health of the girl.
The people decorate the dolls of the lord and the princess and do the celebration. In Japanese, it is called "OHINA-SAMA". It is the meaning of the doll for Girl's Festival.
These manners are imitating the life in the castle in the past. The minister, the three government service women of the vassal and so on, too, decorate together. Moreover, it sometimes decorates the five musical accompaniments, too.
Because to be done by the season in the spring, it decorates the flower of the cherry tree and iris and it makes brilliant.

This custom is done still, too, and my daughter decorates the dolls.


Diamond rice cake

The people place the diamond rice cake which was colored by the 3 colors on the front of each of the lord and the princess.
The red, the green, the white are general.





Flower viewing



Flower viewing

The flower of the cherry tree blooms from March to April.
In this season, the climate becomes warm. The people do the junket under the flower of the cherry tree. As for the flower of the cherry tree, the blooming period is short. However, because it blooms almost the same time, it is extremely beautiful.
The flower of the cherry tree begins to bloom from the area in the south of Japan in about March and the area in the north blooms gradually.






Boy's Festival



Helmet and armor

May 5th is the day to celebrate the health of the boy.
In Japan in the past, that the boy became the adult and to become the strong warrior were hoped for.
The people place the imitation of the helmet and the armor on the celebration.
This day is national holiday as the day of the child.

The general of the group in the past puts the helmet of the picture on the left to the head when making war. It is the one to have knitted the line of the iron with the cloth. It is light, is robust and the ventilation is good for it.
The one like the antler is the mark. Actually, it is the form which is different every general who puts the helmet.

The manners which decorate the imitation are done still, too.


Carp streamer

The carp is the fish which climbs the fall oppositely and has the force.
For the boy to get the force, the people puts up a carp streamer out of the house.
It is made of the cloth and the carp becomes the figure which swims the sky force well in the wind.
The top is the streamer. Before, only this was to be.
The black carp is the father, the golden red carp is the mother and it is the child that is small.
It is in about 10 m that the size is big in the length.

There are a lot of houses which put up a carp streamer still, too.


Chimaki

"Chimaki" is the food which wrapped up the steamed rice with the leaf.
It was made as the attendance food at the time of the battle in the past. Because it is doing the cylindrical shape, it doesn't become troublesome even if it puts to the hip.

Now is eaten as the confectionery around May 5th.


Iris

This plant is called "SYOUBU" by the Japanese name. In Japanese, to fight by the same pronunciation is called "SYOUBU".
Because the pronunciation was the same, the people got to decorate this flower which blooms around May and which wins the war as the flower to augur well.

It is the purple beautiful flower.





Star Festival



Bamboo grass ornament

In July 7th, the Star Festival is done.
There is a poetical story of "the ORIHIME star and the HIKOBOSHI star" in Japan. This story is the story which was introduced from China.
It is the story that "the ORIHIME star" and "the HIKOBOSHI star" which is left across the Milky Way meet July 7th of taking the year, crossing the Milky Way.
The ORIHIME star is the Vega in the Lyra. The HIKOBOSHI star is the Altair in the Aquila. It seems to cross Milky Way by the movement of the orb.
Because it is July 7th of the lunar calendar, it is not July 7th of the present calender(Gregory).

The people place the object to have made with the paper in the Star Festival on the bamboo grass. The children write the wish thing at the paper and do the request to the god.

This custom is done at present, too, and makes the bamboo grass ornament with the kindergarten.
Also, the people in the SENDAI city make the big ornament which is about 10 m and hold a festival.