Traditions & Holdiays

Holidays

New Years

Day: January 1st Plant decorations called kadomatsu are set up, mochi is eaten, and bells at shrines are rung. The Japanese enjoy sending postcards to each other at this time of year, and gifts of money are given to children.

Summer Festival

Day: August 10th A lighthearted holiday to celebrate the summer. Vendors will setup stands with games and food. Parades with floats are organized. Paper lanterns are hung everywhere, or floated in the water to beautify the night.

Setsubun

Day: February 2nd The time of the year at which the seishin barrier that separates the material and spirit world is thinnest. This means it is easier for yokai to find ways through and to threaten the Japanese people. In response, a series of rituals to ward evil spirits have become tradition. These include scattering soybeans on your front door, hanging up sardines and holly leaves around your house, and drinking ginger sake.

Snow Festival (Hokkaido Only)

Day: December 19th - 25th A week long celebration of the winter and snow and ice themed art and sports

Sakura Matsuri

Day: March 27th A spring celebration of the beautiful blooming cherry blossom trees

Traditions

Birth

Shortly after a child is born, they are dressed formally and brought to a Shinto shrine to be blessed by a priest. The naming of a child is also considered to be a sacred event that is done with reverence. A celebration is held with family and friends where gifts (often money) are given to the newborn. Lastly a child will be placed in a room full of objects, and the first object that attracts the child's attention is considered to be a predictive event about the child's future and personality.

Coming of Age Ceremony

Day: January 14th In Japanese culture, you officially become an adult at the age of 20. While many adult responsibilities are undertaken prior to turning 20, 20 is the age milestone chosen for the official ceremony. Legally the person is now able to drink, vote, and other benefits of adulthood. These ceremonies take place at public venues, and anyone in the community that has turned 20 since the last ceremony will take part. The event is a big deal, and the community leader will orchestrate it. The new adults will also visit shrines or temples, and celebrate with family and friends. The ceremony is crowned with males being adorned with a ceremonial cap, and females with a ceremonial hairpin. These items become treasured memorabilia for the new adult.

Marriage and Weddings

Held at a shrine, a wedding is only open to a small group of family and friends. The priest purifies the bride and groom, and both drink from a ceremonial sake cup. The groom will wear a black kimono, while the bride will wear a special white kimono called a shiromuku. The bride might also wear white makeup to indicate purity. After the ceremony a banquet and gift giving will occur.

Funerals and Death Rites

Bodies in Japanese culture are cremated and buried at a family grave site where a single tombstone represents the whole family. Because of the reverence Sosukese have for their elders and ancestors, funeral rituals are extremely important. To mark that a person has died, a white banner is hung over the door. At the funeral itself, a procession is planned where the remains will be transported to the site of burial. After the body is laid to rest, a priest will say a prayer over the body to help ensure that they wont become a restless spirit. The grave is meant to be kept clean and tidy by the deceased relatives in respect. Graves are adorned with flowers and incense.

Tea Ceremony

A formal and ritualistic tea serving process with many steps and rules for the serving of matcha

Onsen

A public hot spring. Proper etiquette is a necessity when using these cultural gathering places.

Izakaya

Casual pub like locations where people will go to drink alcohol with friends and coworkers

Superstitions

Good Luck

After a Japanese funeral, the mourners perform a cleansing ritual by throwing salt over themselves or scattering it on walkways leading to the front door
Many businesses such as shops or restaurants have figures of such beckoning cats, which are considered to be lucky and to bring in money and fortune
Soy beans can be used to ward certain yokai
Luck animals:

• Koi - perseverance
• Cat - fortune
• Crane - longevity
• Frog - safety
• Dragon - strength
• Tanuki - happiness
• Turtle - wisdom

Bad Luck

Number 4 is an unlucky number and is associated with death
Chopsticks should not be stuck upright into food, especially rice. Chopsticks are only stuck upright into rice in the bowl on the altar at a funeral or when paying respects to the deceased
A person's name should not be written in red ink
Black and White are unlucky colors as they represent death