Annual Events Flashcards
New Years
express gratitude to kami (gods), particularly the year god (determines person’s aging for the year)
+ eat osechi meals: good luck meals
+ drink spiced sake (ward off sickness & ill spirits
+ visit shrines and temples
Kadomatsu (Pine Gates - New Years)
landmark for year god to visit a house
+ made of pine tree branches (=sacred) & bamboo (=symbol of human growth)
Shimekazari (Holy Straw Rope - New Years)
placed over door to welcome year god & expel evil spirits, to purify house
+ rice straw (=ward off evil spirits)
+ daphniphyllum (= long life, honesty)
+ japanese bitter orange (=prosperity)
+ sorbs japonica (= prosperity of descendants)
+ shide: white paper (sacred ornament in shinto rituals)
Kagamimochi (2 round piled up rice cakes - New Years)
offering to year god
+ eat to receive blessing (jan. 7)
+ placed in tokonama (nook in house’s main room) & displayed with sorbus japonica & bitter orange
New Years Eve (Oomisoka)
+ visit shrines: ritual called “great purification” is held”
+ visit temples: strike bell 108 times on new years eve (# of earthly desires is 108)
+ eat soba noodles: symbol of long life because noodles are long and thin
Bean Throwing (Setsubun)
February 3 (day before lunar calendar)
+ introduced from China in Nara period -> spread to commoners in Edo period
+ throw soy beans while shouting “Demons out! Good luck in!” (Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!) - expel bad luck & evil demons
+ mame beans used - sounds like “mametsu” (= beating the devil)
Doll Festival (Hina Matsuri)
March 3
+ pray for heappiness & healthy growth of young girls
+ heian period custom of “giving” uncleanliness to paper doll & floating it down river
+ dolls dressed in tradtional court apparel displayed
+ Daruma Doll: traditional wishing doll - most popular good luck charm in Japan
Doll Festival Cont. - Food & Drink
+ sweet white sake: expel evil luck
+ clam soup: shape of clam represents the pair
+ chirashizushi: sushi rice w/ variety of ingredients (shrimp= longevity, lotus root=can see future well, & thin sliced egg=wealth)
Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi)
**May 5 **
+ introduced from China
+ originally boy’s day; after WWII, became children’s day (helmets & armour = to protect boy’s body)
+ became tradition amongst samurai families (Kamakura)
+ warrior dolls, armour & streamers displayed
+ Carp (fish)-shaped cloth streamers: attached to poles (koinobori)
^ ancient Chinese story: carp swam up strong rapids & became a dragon. parents wished for boy to become mighty
Children’s Day Cont. - Food
+ Kashiwamochi: rice cakes w/ red bean paste inside & surrounded by a leaf Kashiwa, Oak (kashiwa leaves don’t fall until new leaves come=prosperity of descendants
+ Chimaki: steamed rice w/ bamboo grass, from China legend - believed to stay away from misfortune
Star Festival (Tanabata)
**July 7 **
+ bamboo branches set up, decorate w/ strips of paper w/ wishes written on them
+ from China -> Japan’s imperial court, became popular among people
^ once a year meetin on a bridge across Milky Way of “cowherd star” & “weaving princess star” - believed wishes on this way would be fulfilled
Obon
August 13-15 (July 13-15 in some areas)
+ Buddhist annual event to welcome & console souls of ancestors - believed that ancestors would come back to visit house during obon
+ Lanterns set up in house
+ 1st Day (13th): welcome fires made to greet ancestors’ sould from spirit world
+ 3rd Day (15th): seeing-off fires made as ancestors’ sould return to spirit world - Dance to send out ancestors spirits
Obon Cont.
+ Family members get together - visit family grave
+ Fireworks: related to welcoming/sending off fires
Food:
+ Fruits
+ Ohagi: Rice balls covered w/ bean paste
+ (main meals following Buddhist teachings)
+ Horse made w/ cucumber & a cow w/ eggplant
(horse=for ancestors to come back quickly & cow=for them to get back slowly)
