Sunday, May 04, 2014

Children's Day こどもの日

Parading to the park with our newly acquired koinobori.

Tomorrow, May 5, is Children's Day. The holiday is one of the string of holidays in Japan that make up Golden Week, which this year gave us Tuesday off, and our current four day weekend. Children's Day is just as it sounds, a day to celebrate children, although it historically has a stronger connection with boys. Typically, families hang out koinobori, or large carp banners, and we purchased one today to celebrate the kiddo in our house. We also have a small cloth decoration and a small koinobori for the interior of our apartment. At little man's school they have gigantic banners out in the yard that they have hung up on every clear day for about three weeks. I remember seeing these huge koinobori the first year we lived in Japan, and thinking that they were such fun, and also a great way to remember to celebrate the small people among us. At little man's school the students made their own koinobori, and also had a small kids festival on Friday, complete with taiko drums and kashiwamochi, some of which was sent home.
 
Koinobori, kashiwamochi, and Kintaro, symbols of Children's Day.
  
  
Banners outside little man's school.
 
Mini banners. 

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