Holiday and Festivies in Japan

 Hello, everyone. At this moment, we want to write down about "Holidays and Festivies in Japan". 

We'll explain about: 

1. Ganjitsu (New Year’s Day – January 1st)

2. Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (National Foundation Day February 11th)

3. Hina Matsuri (March 3rd)

4. Shunbun no Hi (March 20th/21st)

5. Yuki Matsuri (January/February)

6. Omizutori (March)

1.         Ganjitsu (New Year’s Day – January 1st)

Ganjitsu is the beginning of the new year, which is January 1st (early morning), which in the morning it is often referred to as  Gantan (元旦) which means the first morning at the beginning of the year.  In Japan, new year is celebrated on January 1st and lasts until January 3rd which is the usual sanganichi (三 が 日). This period is also often called shōgatsu (正月,). Originally the term shōgatsu was used to denote the first month of the year, but in general today the term is only used to refer to the first day to the third day of the year. This celebration is valid in general (simultaneously) throughout Japan. Even so, there are also areas where the celebration is different from the time commonly used. In the kanto area, for example, the celebration takes place from January 1 to January 7 and is better known as matsu no uchi (松 の 内), while in the Kansai area it lasts until January 15 and is better known as koshogatsu (小 正月). In addition there is also the term hatsuka shōgatsu (二十 日 正月) which is better known as honeshōgatsu (骨 正月) which means new year of bones. At this time, the fish cooked in the New Year has been eaten up to the bones. Activities to welcome the new year have started two or three weeks before the turn of the year. In the Kanto area, the new year's preparation day called o-koto hajime (お 事 始 め) falls on December 8, while in the Kansai area it starts on December 13. Official holidays in Japan are set from January 1, but government offices and private companies are closed from December 29 to January 3. Banks and banking institutions are closed from December 31 to January 3, except for some ATMs that still serve transactions. Until the 1970s, most shops and retailers in the Kanto area were closed until January 5 or January 7. Changes in lifestyle and competition from shops that are open 24 hours have made the habit of long vacations being abandoned. Starting in the 1990s, almost all malls and shops closed only January 1 and started opening the next day January 2, but usually with shortened opening hours. The first day of sales of goods (hatsu-uri) at the shopping center is enlivened by sales of fukubukuro (lucky bags). Sales of goods in all malls and shops were back to normal around January 4th.

December 31st or on New Year's Eve is usually called ōmisoka (大 晦 日). On New Year's Eve there is a tradition of eating soba called toshikoshi soba (年 越 し そ ば). The television station in Japan, NHK, has a tradition of broadcasting the Kohaku Uta Gassen program, a song competition between famous singers divided into red and white camps. Towards 12 o'clock in the evening, bells found in various Buddhist temples in Japan will sound. The tradition of hitting a bell before the turn of the year is called joya no kane (除 夜 の 鐘). The genta is sounded 108 times as a symbol of the 108 kinds of human evil passions that must be dispelled.

After that in the morning there is a kind of tradition in the form of a first visit to the shrine at the start of the new year. At this time the front of the big temples was very busy as they were waiting for the opening of the shrine. The prayers are usually in the form of a wish to be healthy and safe throughout the year. This habit is often called hatsumode. A special dish eaten at New Years is Osechi (zoni soup made of dashi soup filled with mocha and vegetables). Various kinds of osechi side dishes called jūbako (重 箱). Side dishes in osechi dishes are usually very sweet or very salty, such as: kuromame, tatsukuri (gomame), konbumaki, kamaboko, kurikinton, kazunoko and datemaki. New year's food is expected to last a long time, because the new year is a cooking holiday opportunity for housewives in Japan. Apart from Osechi there are also processed fish. The fish cooked in each region is different, for eastern Japan it usually uses salmon while in western Japan it uses sunglir (buri). Some areas also have special dishes that cannot be enjoyed elsewhere. As in the Kansai area, for example, there is a special dish in the form of dried cod (bōdara) cooked with sugar and soy sauce.

The closing of the New Year celebration was marked by eating nanakusa porridge cooked with 7 types of vegetables and grass. Usually people eat this porridge from January 7 to 15. The goal is that the stomach can rest after being filled with New Year's food. The mochi pounding event (mochitsuki) is one of the traditions leading up to the new year. The cooked sticky rice is put in a mortar and pounded with a pestle. One person is in charge of pounding, while the other is in charge of turning the glutinous rice with his hand soaked in water. The glutinous rice is pounded until it's sticky and forms large white mochi clumps. Apart from being eaten as a substitute for rice during the new year, mochi is also made a new year decoration called kagami mochi. Traditionally, kagami mochi is made by arranging two round pieces of mochi with an orange on top for decoration.

The Japanese have a tradition of sending each other nengajō (年 賀 状) postcards that arrive on January 1st. New Years greeting postcards are guaranteed to reach the address they are addressed to on January 1, as long as they are sent not past the receiving period set by the post office. Postcard acceptance usually starts mid-December until the last few days before the end of the year. The post office needed extra staff recruited from among the students so that all postcards could arrive on January 1st.

As a tribute to the deceased, newly abandoned family members do not celebrate the new year and do not send new year postcards. Instead, family members who have just been hit by an accident send postcards containing notifications that they cannot send new year's greetings.

Every year, the Japan Post Office has a tradition of printing postcards with different themes. Postcards decorated with paintings of famous places in Japan and pictures of zodiac animals for the new year. New year postcards issued by the post office also have a lottery number drawn at the beginning of the year. Lucky postcard recipients can win various in-kind prizes.

❤ Various commonly used New Year wishes:

a. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu (今年 も よ ろ し く お 願 い し ま す)

b. Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu (あ け ま し て お め で と う ご ざ い ま す)

c. Kin-ga shinnen (謹 賀 新年)

The Japanese have a tradition of giving angpao which is known as otoshidama (お 年 玉). When giving otoshidama to children, a number of new banknotes or coins are put in small envelopes called pochibukuro (otoshidama-bukuro) which are decorated with various children's favorite pictures. Otoshidama is eagerly awaited by children in Japan, especially if you have a generous uncle or aunt.

Picture 01. Ganjitsu

2. Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (February 11st)

Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (National Foundation Day February 11th)  is a countrywide vacation in Japan celebrated annually, each February 11th. National Foundation Day is an afternoon commemorate the founding of the us of a and domesticate a love for it. It’s celebrated at the day the primary Emperor of Japan became topped as the “Day that Japanese records began.” This countrywide vacation became first celebrated all through the Meiji Era, in which it became called Kigensetsu. The first emperor Japan is Emoperor Jimmu. “Kenkoku Kinen no Hi” explained 

• “Kenkoku” (建国) means “founding of a country” 

• “Kinen” (記念) means “commemoration” 

• “no” (の) is the possessive particle (comparable to “of”) 

• And “Hi”(日) means “day”. 

Usually, in this day, locations in Japan show the Japanese flag as a image of the day the country became founded. Apart from that, the imperial palace additionally held a memorial service. Not simplest that, ceremonies also are held at numerous Shinto shrines.

Picture 02. Kenkoku Kinen no Hi

3.  Hina Matsuri (March 3rd)

Hinamatsuri (雛 祭 り, ひ な ま つ り) or Hina Matsuri is an festivity every March 3rd in Japan held to pray for the growth of girls. Families with daughters display a set of dolls called hinaningyō (雛 人形, ひ な に ん ぎ ょ う, festival dolls). A puppet set consists of puppets of the emperor, empress, court princess (maids), and court musicians depicting traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies. The clothes the dolls wore were the kimono in the Heian era style. This celebration is often called the Puppet Festival or Girls Festival because it started with a puppet game among noble daughters called hiina asobi (playing princess dolls). Although it is called matsuri, this gift is more of a family event at home, and is only celebrated by families with daughters. Before the day of Grace, the children helped the parents of the dolls from storage boxes for display. The day after Hinamatsuri, the doll must be stored immediately because it does not believe that it has absorbed evil spirits and bad luck. Puppets are placed on a terraced stage called dankazari (display ladder). The number of steps in the dankazari is determined based on the number of dolls available. Each doll is placed in a position that has been determined based on a hereditary tradition. The dankazari stage is covered with thick red blankets called hi-mōsen. A puppet set usually features a miniature gold byeongpung (byōbu) to set as a backdrop. On the left and right are a pair of miniature lanterns (bombori). Other items include miniature cherry and tachibana trees, cut peach blossom branches for decoration.

Top ladder

Two puppets representing the emperor (o-dairi-sama) and the empress (o-hina-sama) are placed on the top of the stairs. In Japanese, dairi means "palace of the emperor", and hina means "princess" or "daughter". The Kansai and Kanto regions have a different order of right and left in placing the dolls of the emperor and empress, but the arrangement of the puppets on each subsequent rung is always the same.

 Second staircase

Three palace princess dolls (san-nin kanjo) are placed on the second staircase. The three princesses brought sake drinking utensils. The puppet princess in the middle of the palace carries a sake bowl (sakazuki) that is placed on top of the sampō. Two other court princesses carry a sake pot (kuwae no chōshi), and a sake container called (nagae no chōshi). The teeth of one of the dolls of the court princess were blackened (ohaguro) and her eyebrows were shaved off. In the Kyoto version of the puppet, the most central royal princess from Kyoto carried a shimadai (a sign of happiness decorated with pine leaves, bamboo leaves, and ume flowers). 

 Third staircase

Five male musical puppets (go-nin bayashi) are on the third step. The four musicians each carried a musical instrument, except for the singer who brought a folding fan. The musical instruments carried by each musician are the taiko, ōkawa, kotsuzumi, and flute.

 The fourth stair

Two ministerial puppets (daijin) consisting of the Minister of the Right (Udaijin) and the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin) are in the 4th ladder. The doll of the Minister of the Right is depicted as young, while the puppet of the Minister of the Left looks much older. From an observer's point of view, the Minister of the Right is on the left, while the Minister of the Left is on the right.

Fifth staircase

On the fifth staircase are placed three dolls of male messengers (shichō). The three of them each carried a package containing a hat (daigasa) carried with a stick, shoes placed on a tray, and a long umbrella closed. In another version of the puppet, the male messenger carries a bamboo rake (kumade) and a broom. [2] Furthermore, cow carts and various miniature furniture made for wedding gifts are placed on the stairs below.

Special dishes for girls celebrating Hinamatsuri include: hishimochi cake, hikigiri cake, hina arare snack, clear soup made of tai fish or clam (hamaguri) broth, and chirashizushi. The drink is white sake (shirozake) which is made by fermenting glutinous rice with mirin or shōchū, and kōji. Another drink served is sweet sake (amazake) which is made from sake dregs (sakekasu) which are diluted with water and cooked over a fire.

Picture 03. Hina Matsuri

4. Shunbun no Hi (March 20th/21st)

The Vernal Equinox (春分 の 日, shunbun no hi) or sometimes known as the Spring Equinox is the day when winter ends and spring begins. This routine national holiday, which is celebrated on March 20, was inaugurated in 1948, namely during the Meiji era.

The Spring Equinox marks the change of seasons where days become longer and nights faster. The temperature became warmer and the flowers began to bloom. In Japan there are 2 alternations of seasons where day and night are equal in terms of time. These two events are called the Autumnal Equinox and the Spring Equinox. Due to astronomical changes, this change of spring may fall from March 19 to March 22.

In Buddhism, they believe that if the periods of day and night are equal, lost souls are helped to cross the bridge between the world and nirvana. On this holiday, Japanese citizens give flowers, visit ancestral graves as a form of respect, clean tombs and provide food. This activity is believed to be able to help their ancestors to cross the bridge to nirvana. At one point in time, they served sake to their ancestors as well as served mochi cakes. Especially for this cake is a rice cake covered with peanut powder which is named ぼ た も ち (botamochi).

As well as families paying homage to their ancestors at their graves, farmers pray for their successful harvest in the coming season.

Picture 04. Shunbun no Hi

5. Yuki Matsuri (January/February)

The Sapporo Snow Festival (さ っ ぽ ろ 雪 ま つ り Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is the largest snow festival in Japan which is held in the city of Sapporo, Hokkaido. This festival is held for a week in early February. Every year around two million tourists from within the country and abroad visit Sapporo during the festival.

Since 2006, the festival has been held in three locations. For example at Odori Park, Susukino, and Sapporo Satoland. At the Odori Park site are exhibits of enormous ice and snow carvings, including ice sculptures in the form of miniature famous buildings. A smaller ice carving exhibition was held in Susukino, while an event for families was held at Sapporo Satoland. At the first snow festival, the statue's height was limited to 7 meters. At the 4th festival (1953), height restrictions were removed and Hokkaido municipal vocational high school students built ice carvings that were 15 meters high. The snow required was so great that it required the assistance of a truck and bulldozer loan from the Hokkaido city government. Since then, the city government of Hokkaido has always lent heavy equipment so that large-scale ice and snow carvings can be built.

At the fifth festival (1954), a snow sculpture donated by the townspeople began to be displayed. Buildings in various forms created by Japanese martial arts forces, private companies, city governments, and various sponsors began to be neatly organized.

Since around the 10th festival (1959), tourists from outside of Hokkaido have started to come to see the Sapporo snow festival. The 1972 Festival was held in conjunction with the 1972 Winter Olympics and was also introduced overseas. Since then, this festival has become a destination for foreign tourists. Since 1974, the festival has been enlivened by an international ice and snow sculpture competition, which has been participated by sculptor artists from various major cities in the world.

The ice sculpture exhibition site in Susukino originates from a local event that was held for the first time in 1981, and only became part of the Sapporo snow festival in 1983. From the 41st Festival (1990) to the 42nd Festival (1992), the Sapporo Snow Festival It was held in 4 locations, but the 4th location was closed due to the low number of visitors and the snow carvings on display.

Picture 05. Yuki Matsuri

6. Omizutori (March)

The Omizutori Festival (お 水 取 り) is a festival that is held annually starting from March 1-14 at Nigatsu-do in Todaiji, Nara. This festival is the final ritual of the 2-week Shuni-e ceremony. The purpose and purpose of this ceremony is to cleanse people from sins. After the Omizutori ends, the flowers will usually bloom and indicate spring has come.

Among the many ceremonies that are held during the festival, Otaimatsu is the most lively and spectacular. The Buddhist priest took purified healing water and ran around with a large pine torch, under the Nigatsu-do hall, which according to legend only drains water once a year. This ceremony takes place at Nigatsu-do castle in Nara, when it was first created. This ritual has been held since 725, named Shuni-e. Omizutori is the biggest ceremony on the twelfth night of March. The pine torch (Kagotaimatsu) is lit for the start of Omizutori, at the time ittokuka which takes place in the morning. Meanwhile, Otaimatsu is held in the afternoon. This ritual takes place on the last night of the Shuni-e ceremony, as priests run around the corridors of Nigatsu-do waving large pine torches. It is believed that if the person is exposed to this spark, that person will avoid evil things. Exactly on the 12th, the pine torches were bigger and more numerous, so the ceremony would last even longer. This show is very impressive and worth watching, but because it will be very crowded that day, it is recommended that you arrive early, there are special rules for entering to watch it. Every night at 7 P.M. a large bell is sounded as a sign of lighting the taimatsu every night. 

Picture 06. Omizutori