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Holiday
Shuubun-no-hi
Autumnal Equinox is held on September 23 and is considered one of the most traditional holidays in Japan. It is the time when day and night become equal; when the sun crosses the equator from the north to the south. The days that follow begin getting shorter. Autumnal Equinox is also known as Higan No Chu-Nichi, which means " the other side of the river." This means that one side of the river is where living humans live and the other is where those who have died live. During Higan the spirits of ancestors are recalled. Each year during this time there is a weeklong Buddhist observance called Higan. Higan begins three days before equinox and lasts three days after it. In the middle of Higan families and friends go and tend the graves of their deceased love ones. They bring flowers (one common one is the "Higan flower") and a traditional food called Ohagi to the cemeteries. This holiday is very similar to our Memorial Day but with much more tradition.
Shuubun-no-hi
Autumnal Equinox is held on September 23 and is considered one of the most traditional holidays in Japan. It is the time when day and night become equal; when the sun crosses the equator from the north to the south. The days that follow begin getting shorter. Autumnal Equinox is also known as Higan No Chu-Nichi, which means " the other side of the river." This means that one side of the river is where living humans live and the other is where those who have died live. During Higan the spirits of ancestors are recalled. Each year during this time there is a weeklong Buddhist observance called Higan. Higan begins three days before equinox and lasts three days after it. In the middle of Higan families and friends go and tend the graves of their deceased love ones. They bring flowers (one common one is the "Higan flower") and a traditional food called Ohagi to the cemeteries. This holiday is very similar to our Memorial Day but with much more tradition.Valentines Day by Namiko Abe
Did you have any plans for Valentine's Day? Is there a special way of spending this time in your culture? In Japan, it is only the women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men. Japanese women are usually too shy to express their love. (Though it might not be true nowadays.) Therefore, Valentine's Day was thought to be a great opportunity to let women express their feelings. However, this is a custom that smart chocolate companies spread to boost their sales, and it has been very successful. Now the chocolate companies in Japan sell more than half of their annual sales during the week before Valentine's Day. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called "White Day" (March 14th), a Japanese creation. Does it sound good to you? Don't get too excited when you get chocolates from Japanese girls! They might be "Giri-choko (obligation chocolate)." Women give chocolates not only to their loved ones ("A true love" chocolate is called "Honmei-choko.") "Giri-choko" is the chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in, just for friendship or gratitude. The concept of "giri" is very Japanese. It is a mutual obligation that the Japanese follow when dealing with other people. If someone does you a favor, then you feel obligated to do something for that person. Unlike the West, sending a Valentine's cards is not common in Japan, and the phrase "Happy Valentines" is not widely used. "Happy Birthday" and "Happy New Year" are common phrases. In this case, "Happy ~" is translated as "omedetou"（～おめでとう）."
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Latest page update: made by LeeX2bc
, Feb 23 2008, 11:04 PM EST
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