Japanese Events
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Ochugen is a gift given to people who have taken care of you. It has been done in Japan for a long time. Usually, you send off the gifts from the end of June to the mid of July. There are people who still preserve this custom and there are some who don’t.
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We celebrate tanabata festival on 7th July every year. This festival originates from a story, saying that an orihime princess and a hikoboshi prince meet up in the milky way. Nowadays we decorate strips of fancy paper on sasa bamboo grasses.
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On the 3rd Sunday of every June, we give yellow roses to express our appreciation to the fathers.
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Hydrangeas bloom from June to July. Japanese people like to experience the seasons by looking at flowers. Hydrangea is a symbolic flower of the rainiy season tsuyu.
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On the second Sunday of every May, we celebrate our mothers and show our gratitude. In Japan it is common that we give carnation flowers to them.
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On 5 May every year, we celebrate the boys for their sound growth. It is also called Children’s Day. Armor or helmets (that were worn in battle in old Japan) are decorated at home. Koi-nobori (koi fish shaped kites) are decorated outside. Japanese iris flowers are also used for decoration. We eat chimaki (flavored rice rapped in bamboo leaves) and/or kashiwamochi (rice cake with sweet bean paste).
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From the end of April to the beginning of May, there are several national holidays and it is called Golden Week. On 29th April it is the Showa Day. On 3rd May it is the Constitution Memorial Day. On 4th May it is Greenery Day. On 5th May it is the Children’s Day. Children don’t go to school on these four days. When these four days are combined with the weekends, a longer period of time will be holidays.
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As it is known in some other countries, it is also April Fool’s Day in Japan as well on the 1st of April. It comes from Britain and you can make fun by playing pranks on others.
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Cherry blossoms are one of the things Japan is recognized for. blossoms can enjoy at a lot of places. Japanese like to appreciate the seasons and view the seasonal plants.
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In Japan there is a custom of viewing cherry blossoms. People enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms and sometimes they eat their meal under the trees.