Many of the temples display beautiful doll sets on that day for the many people who come to the shrine. That is a part of the day, to go a shrine and get the child blessed. Near my workplace is one of the largest shrines in Kyoto called Shimogamo Shrine. It is special because there is a small river that runs right through the shrine. On daughter's day the parents bring their daughter to the shrine and the buy little dolls made out of straw in a little basket. The parents and child set the doll basket carefully on the river and the current takes it away. Its a beautiful ceremony I think. The meaning is open to interpretation but it has something to do with the flow of life being like a river and we wish our children a safe and happy life as they travel down the river of life. Don't worry, the little baskets never sink as they are make out of straw and float very well. Sometimes though they did get stuck on the river bank and had to be pushed away so that they could continue their journey.
Plum festival
The Japanese have many festivals that are centered around the changing seasons. As the seasons pass by they are acknowledged and enjoyed. The most famous and popular one is the cherry blossoms festival. Around the end of March to April the country goes into a frenzy over the cherry blossoms. Before the cherry blossoms festival though, is the plum blossom festival. Although not as popular, it is still widely celebrated. In Kyoto, about 30 minuites by bike from where I live is a temple that has 2000 plum trees on its grounds. On Sunday February 25th ,they had the plum festival. Thousands of people arrived by bus,by bike, and on foot, to view the bright purple flowers. It was kind of strange because it starting snowing rather hard. Even this did not deter the crowds from walking among the trees and soaking up the beauty. I had seen plum blossoms before and yes they were beautiful . But there was something so nice about having everyone there together enjoying them. So many times we are too busy to stop and notice the beauty around us. I like the Japanese way of setting aside special days for appreciating what nature gives us.
Setsubun
Setsubun is a really fun festival that is held on February 4th of every year. It is distantly related to the Chinese New Year. In Japan however it is celebrated as the coldest day of the year. That means from there on out it should get warmer,right? It is then the beginning of spring. It is celebrated in many different ways. One way is in the home. There the children are told that the oni is coming. The oni is a kind of a devil that brings misfortune to people. The children throw a roasted soybean called mame at the oni while chanting, "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" (the devil goes out and happiness stays home.) At work I decided I wanted to experience this tradition first hand so I bought an oni mask and some roasted soybeans and had a good time. As kids came down after the classes I scared them. The kids had an even better time pelting me with the beans. "But you are wasting food" (a real no-no in Japan) I teased my co-workers.
"Yes I know but it is the only time we ever do", they replied.
The only problem was that the beans were delicious. So after the floor was covered with beans I grossed out my coworkers (for the umpteenth time) by picking them up and eating them. Some of the smaller kids were really scared that I was a real oni. The older ones only had to look at my big slippered feet to know who I was. Some of the Japanese parents use the power of the oni to scare their kids into behaving. ("be good or the oni is going to come get you.")
At the Shinto shrine they held a public oni ceremony with real live oni (actors) running around. They wore elaborate costumes.They were chased by the mame-throwing priests. Afterwards there was a big bonfire. For about 3 dollars you could write your name on a slab of wood and they would burn it for you. That`s suppossed to make your wishes come true. But take my word for it , it doesn`t work. Later that night there was a big festival at the shrine near my house. They dug a hug pit about 30 feet in diameter. Then they started to fill it up with bags of what looked like garbage but was in reality old things that were once cherished. They kept piling the stuff on until it was a large cylinder about 20 feet high. That night around 11 pm they set it on fire. People started walking around the fire in a clockwise direction. There were thousands of people. It was a very eerie feeling. In the dead of night , being carried around by a current of people, one side of me was freezing cold and the other was being scalded from the fire. Most of the families went home after 1 or 2 trips around. That left the outcasts(like me and the rest of the foreign community) to hang around the warm fire talking and drinking. It was a nice way to celebrate the end of winter except that it was by no means the end. It continues to be cold here and without central heating I hustle from one heated area to the next.