S M K I N I H O N G O

CHILDREN'S DAY

Jumaat, 12 April 2013 • 1:56 PG • 0 comments

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh . . . . . . .
Well, here is my first entry ^V^ so I really hope that it will give you some adds. info on Japanese Festival Days.
One of them is Tango no Sekku (端午の節句) which means :

CHILDREN`S

DAY

Here is the brief history of this special day ~

Children`s Day was celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th moon in the lunar calendar. After Japan's switch to the Gregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5. It was originally for BOYS but has since been changed to include both boys and girls.

It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness. It was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government in 1948.

Until recently, Tango no Sekku was known as Boys' Day (also known as Feast of Banners) while Girls' Day (Hinamatsuri) was celebrated on March 3. In 1948, the government decreed this day to be a national holiday to celebrate the happiness of all children and to express gratitude toward mothers.
It was renamed Kodomo no Hi.

BEFORE THE SPECIAL DAY

# families raise the carp-shaped koinobori flags

(carp because of the Chinese legend that a carp that swims upstream becomes a dragon, and the way the flags blow in the wind looks like they are swimming) = ) one for each boy

# display a Kintarō doll usually riding on a large carp

# display the traditional Japanese military helmet, kabuto.

Kintarō and the kabuto

=D symbols of a strong and healthy boy.

Kintarō (金太郎 ) is the childhood name of Sakata no Kintoki who was a hero in the Heian period , a subordinate samurai of Minamoto no Raikou , having been famous for his strength when he was a child. It is said that Kintarō rode a bear, instead of a horse, and played with animals in the mountains when he was a young boy.