Does not actually happen in the springtime for Japanese people.
It is something that everybody actually does before the new year, right around Christmastime, or soon afrer. The big osoji (cleaning). Everything must be cleaned. It is pretty much a ritual habit or culture aspect of Japan. Houses, work places, gardens. Everything. And not just your weekly cleaning. I am talking about spring cleaning clean, but almost over and beyond. At least over and beyond any spring cleaning I have ever done. Take everything out and individually clean it and clean the room. Ceilings too. Before you put anything back inside.
I even cleaned under my built-in bathtub with fungal cleaner.
They do this to welcome the new year with a nice and fresh house. The more and more I study about Japan and its culture it is so interesting how repetitive they are with all of their customs and reasons, it seems they are oddly superstitious. They always try to start everything, houses, relations, semesters workplaces, anew as a way to purify it and to bring in good luck, longevity, and prosperity. To push out the demons of yesteryear and invite in the good spirits and freshness for the new year.
After everything has been cleaned, the decorations are put up, which often consist of mochi and oranges, as well as whatever the year's zodiac happens to be. Likely you will find those large bamboo pine decorations called kadomatsu in front of especially prestigious shops, hotels and other locations soon after as well. In homes, a bit more modest decorations are in place, in addition to their mochi and oranges, they also will typically have twists of straw rope they are a bit famous for, as well as their paper decorations. All of these things will again reinforce the themes of purity and prosperity in their homes and workplaces.
Showing posts with label bamboo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bamboo. Show all posts
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Lucky 7
There are many occasions for celebrations through out Japan, like Hina Matsuri, or Girls Day which occurs on March 3rd, or Boys Day which occurs on May 5th, and also Tanabata, which occurs on
July 7th.
Seeing a pattern? 3/3, 5/5, 7/7 (and of course 1/1 is new years). So upon finding this out, I immediately as if there was a 9/9 or an 11/11 event. And my students pondered really hard for a moment, seeing as it almost made sense for there to be such events. But no such luck, or not that they could come up with.
July 7th, Tanabata, was originally one of those customs that pertained to the Chinese calender and would occur on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Due to the predominance of the Georgian calender in Japan, the holiday would follow the natural course of its brothers and sisters and would take the same literal meaning and apply it to the Georgian calender, and take the date of July 7th.
And as all things go in Japan, there is, of course, an old story that goes with it. It is a story of falling in love between the daughter of the Universe, Orihime, and a lowly cow herder, Hikoboshi. Let me preface this story by saying that these two are constellations and live in the sky above. The daughter of the universe was clearly a princess who was gifted at weaving, and would often do so for her father, who was pleased. The daughter wanted more than anything to fall in love. She eventually came to meet this cow herder upon the banks of the river (the Milky Way) where she would weave. The two fell in love at first sight and were wed. And as with all couples, that is where the trouble began. The two became so involved with one another, that they took leave of their duties. Cows wandered the heavens and the Universe no longer received gifts of the bolts of weaved fabric from his daughter. Seeing their negligence, the Universe took away his daughter to maintain order in the heavens, and moved her across the Milky Way forever separating them. But all fathers bend at their tears of their daughters and agreed to allow them to meet once a year, on Tanabata. To allow her to cross the Milky Way river, a flock of magpies ( a black bird) formed a bridge so that she could meet her beloved on the other side. But if the day is rainy, it is said to be her tears at the inability to see through the clouds and make it to the other side to her Hikoboshi. Therefore they can only meet on clear evening when the sky is starry.
Outside of the legend, two stars, Altair and Vega, are separated by the Milky Way and on this day (in the lunar calendar) they can meet. Of course you can't see it if it is cloudy.
To celebrate this day, modern Japanese people will write wishes and poetry upon colorful origami paper, called tanzaku, and attach it to a bamboo limb. These colorful decorations are either burned (the ashes ascending to the heavens) or floated down a river (symbolic of the Milky Way river in the story) so that their prayers and wishes will reach the heavens and come true.
Additionally there will be more festivals held in August when the stars are in accordance with the lunar calendar. In Kyoto, there will be more tanzuka bamboo structures, lanterns floating down river (Horikawa), and bamboo artworked exhibitions, as well as an illuminated walkway representing the Milky Way. Basically a nice little romantic evening for couples.
July 7th.
Seeing a pattern? 3/3, 5/5, 7/7 (and of course 1/1 is new years). So upon finding this out, I immediately as if there was a 9/9 or an 11/11 event. And my students pondered really hard for a moment, seeing as it almost made sense for there to be such events. But no such luck, or not that they could come up with.
July 7th, Tanabata, was originally one of those customs that pertained to the Chinese calender and would occur on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Due to the predominance of the Georgian calender in Japan, the holiday would follow the natural course of its brothers and sisters and would take the same literal meaning and apply it to the Georgian calender, and take the date of July 7th.
And as all things go in Japan, there is, of course, an old story that goes with it. It is a story of falling in love between the daughter of the Universe, Orihime, and a lowly cow herder, Hikoboshi. Let me preface this story by saying that these two are constellations and live in the sky above. The daughter of the universe was clearly a princess who was gifted at weaving, and would often do so for her father, who was pleased. The daughter wanted more than anything to fall in love. She eventually came to meet this cow herder upon the banks of the river (the Milky Way) where she would weave. The two fell in love at first sight and were wed. And as with all couples, that is where the trouble began. The two became so involved with one another, that they took leave of their duties. Cows wandered the heavens and the Universe no longer received gifts of the bolts of weaved fabric from his daughter. Seeing their negligence, the Universe took away his daughter to maintain order in the heavens, and moved her across the Milky Way forever separating them. But all fathers bend at their tears of their daughters and agreed to allow them to meet once a year, on Tanabata. To allow her to cross the Milky Way river, a flock of magpies ( a black bird) formed a bridge so that she could meet her beloved on the other side. But if the day is rainy, it is said to be her tears at the inability to see through the clouds and make it to the other side to her Hikoboshi. Therefore they can only meet on clear evening when the sky is starry.
Outside of the legend, two stars, Altair and Vega, are separated by the Milky Way and on this day (in the lunar calendar) they can meet. Of course you can't see it if it is cloudy.
Additionally there will be more festivals held in August when the stars are in accordance with the lunar calendar. In Kyoto, there will be more tanzuka bamboo structures, lanterns floating down river (Horikawa), and bamboo artworked exhibitions, as well as an illuminated walkway representing the Milky Way. Basically a nice little romantic evening for couples.
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