What does the Obon festival celebrated? The Obon festival (お盆, also known as Bon festival) is an annual Japanese holiday which commemorates and remembers deceased ancestors. It is believed that their spirits return at this time to visit their relatives. Chochin (paper) lanterns are hung to guide the spirits and Obon dances (bon odori) are performed.
Why is Obon festival important? The Obon celebration is one of the most important customs for the Japanese. Also known as Bon, this season is used to celebrate the spirits of a person’s ancestors. A custom introduced by the Buddhists to the Japanese, it is a holiday that brings the family together and reunites them with the dead.
What is Obon tradition? Obon is a multi-day Japanese festival dedicated to remembering and honoring the dead. It is a time of homecoming, with families taking part in traditions to respect their ancestors. The origin story is largely based on the Ten Great Disciples of Gautama Buddha.
Who celebrates the Obon festival? When is Obon in 2021? Obon, also sometimes known as “Bon,” is a traditional Buddhist holiday celebrated in Japan as well as in much of East Asia. The holiday consists of a three-day festival that honours ancestral spirits and pays respect to the dead.
What does the Obon festival celebrated? – Additional Questions
What does Obon mean in Japanese?
Obon (お盆) is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one’s ancestors, whose spirits are believed to temporarily return to this world in order to visit their relatives during Obon.
What are 5 traditions of the Obon festival?
Families place offerings of fruit, rice, green tea, sake and lotus-shaped sweets at the graves or family altars. Paper lanterns are hung round the house to help guide the spirits home. Some families carry lanterns from the graves back to their homes. Although Obon is a memorial, it is not solemn.
What do they eat during Obon?
Obon Festival Foods
Street foods like okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), takoyaki (octopus balls), and yakitori (chicken skewers) are all popular. Treats like uji-kintoki (sweetened shaved ice) and dango (sweet dumplings) are other festival favorites.
Why is Obon in summer?
Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆) is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one’s ancestors.
Bon (festival)
Obon Festival |
Type |
Religious, Cultural |
Significance |
Honors the spirits of one’s ancestors |
Date |
August 15 July 15 (Kantō) 10th day of the 7th lunar month |
Is Obon a national holiday in Japan?
Obon – Around August 13 – 16
Although it is not a public holiday, many Japanese people take vacation time to return to their hometowns during this period. Much like Golden Week or the New Year’s holiday, public transportation and highways will be highly congested over these series of days.
What is the most important holiday in Japan?
New Year (shogatsu):
This is the most important holiday in Japan. While only January 1 is designated as a national holiday, many businesses remain closed through January 3.
Why is it called Golden Week in Japan?
Some companies give employees a day off on May 1, which is May Day. The word “Golden Week” was first used by movie companies to get people to take advantage of the “golden” opportunity to go see a film. The term gradually began being used by other people to refer to this string of holidays.
How do Japanese celebrate the dead?
The Obon tradition includes hanging lanterns, obon dance (bon odori) performances, visiting ancestors’ graves and food offerings at house altars and temples.
Do Japanese cry at funerals?
This is the only time in Japan when it is proper for two people to hold the same item at the same time with chopsticks. At all other times, two people holding anything with chopsticks at the same time will remind everyone of the funeral of a close relative causing everyone to break down and cry for hours on end.
What is the color of mourning in Japan?
Black is the color of mourning in Japan. While in the recent years dark blue and dark gray is becoming more acceptable, black is still preferred over all other colors.
Do Japanese wear white to funerals?
All funeral guests wear black: men wear black suits with white shirts and black ties, and women wear either black dresses or black kimono. If the deceased was an adherent to Buddhism, a set of prayer beads called juzu (数珠) may be carried by the guests.
How long do Japanese mourn?
The family of the deceased will be in a period of mourning for 49 days after the funeral. Once a week they will visit the grave to place fresh flowers and to burn incense.
Is it rude to return koden?
“Koden” gift is meant to cover the funeral/flowers and also a way to express condolences. So I would avoid “returning” it. Some thank-you card with some small gift from where you are would be nice and appreciated (the gift can be sent now or handed in person later maybe).
Do Japanese give flowers when someone dies?
Money and chrysanthemums in Japan
During the cremation ceremony, those present also place flowers in the coffin. White and yellow chrysanthemums and lilies are particularly suitable, because they’re associated with death. Flowers in bright colours are taboo.
Is white the color of mourning in Japan?
Since ancient times, as in many cultures, the color white has been a symbol of purity in Japanese culture. It was closely linked to the spiritual world. Even today, Shinto priests and their female helpers miko wear mostly white garments. White used to be the color worn during funerals and mourning.
Who wears white to a funeral?
The family of someone who dies wear white in the mourning process in the hope that their loved ones are reborn again. The idea of white mourning, otherwise known as deuil blanc in French, was formed during the 16th century when white was worn by bereaved children and unmarried women.
Do Japanese burn their dead?
Cremation in Japan was originally practiced by monks seeking to emulate the cremation of the Buddha. Virtually all deceased are now cremated in Japan – as of 2012, it had the highest cremation rate in the world of over 99.9%.