Kodomo No Hi (Children's Day)
Today is Kodomo No Hi, or Children's Day. Children are celebrated throughout the country. It is a day "set aside to respect children's personalities and celebrate their happiness". Koinobori (carp shaped streamers) are flown outside one's home to represent each boy (or child)
I received this email regarding the day and its festivities...
"Kodomo no hi is really a combination of two different holidays. One is the festival of boys, and the other is the iris festival.
We put up a big display of ceremonial armor - it is on a special shelf with war drums and fans. It belonged to my husband when he was small, and his father when he was small... Maybe grandfather too? But I`m not sure. We set it up during the beginning of April, so it has been up for almost a month. About the same time, we also began hanging our koinobori outside. Every morning I get up early and hang them.
We dress our son in a special outfit with a little hat. We don`t give any gifts, but there is a special sweet that we eat - Kashiwa Mochi. It`s a mochi wrapped in a special type of leaf. There are also small cracker type snacks. In the evening, we put iris leaves in the bath."
From the Wikipedia encyclopedia... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodomo_no_hi)
"Kodomo no hi (こどもの日; meaning "Children's Day") is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.
On this day, families raise the carp-shaped Koinobori flags, one for each boy (or child), and display the doll of Kintarou usually riding on a large carp, and the traditional Japanese military helmet, Kabuto. Kintarou and the Kabuto are both symbols of a strong and healthy boy. Kintarou (金太郎) is the childhood name of Sakata no Kintoki who was a hero in the Heian period, a subordinate samurai of Minamoto no Raikou, having been famous for his strength when he was a child in Japan. It is said that Kintarou mounted on a bear, instead of a horse, and played with animals in the mountain when he was a young boy. Mochi rice cakes wrapped in kashiwa oak leaves, that is, kashiwa-mochi and chimaki, are traditionally served on this day."
Here are our carp streamers, flying in the wind from the air conditioner in the hotel room. *grin* We don't really have anywhere to put these "out" so we made do. Andrew was happy with his "fishies".
I received this email regarding the day and its festivities..."Kodomo no hi is really a combination of two different holidays. One is the festival of boys, and the other is the iris festival.
We put up a big display of ceremonial armor - it is on a special shelf with war drums and fans. It belonged to my husband when he was small, and his father when he was small... Maybe grandfather too? But I`m not sure. We set it up during the beginning of April, so it has been up for almost a month. About the same time, we also began hanging our koinobori outside. Every morning I get up early and hang them.
We dress our son in a special outfit with a little hat. We don`t give any gifts, but there is a special sweet that we eat - Kashiwa Mochi. It`s a mochi wrapped in a special type of leaf. There are also small cracker type snacks. In the evening, we put iris leaves in the bath."
From the Wikipedia encyclopedia... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodomo_no_hi)
"Kodomo no hi (こどもの日; meaning "Children's Day") is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.
On this day, families raise the carp-shaped Koinobori flags, one for each boy (or child), and display the doll of Kintarou usually riding on a large carp, and the traditional Japanese military helmet, Kabuto. Kintarou and the Kabuto are both symbols of a strong and healthy boy. Kintarou (金太郎) is the childhood name of Sakata no Kintoki who was a hero in the Heian period, a subordinate samurai of Minamoto no Raikou, having been famous for his strength when he was a child in Japan. It is said that Kintarou mounted on a bear, instead of a horse, and played with animals in the mountain when he was a young boy. Mochi rice cakes wrapped in kashiwa oak leaves, that is, kashiwa-mochi and chimaki, are traditionally served on this day."
Here are our carp streamers, flying in the wind from the air conditioner in the hotel room. *grin* We don't really have anywhere to put these "out" so we made do. Andrew was happy with his "fishies".
posted by Rachel :-) | 11:08 PM
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