こどもの日 (Kodomo no Hi)

5th May – 皐月

Part of Golden week holiday, the day for children – Respecting the children’s individual characters, wishing for happiness for them and appreciating their mothers for bringing up the children.

Some people might have heard that 5th of May is also called as 端午の節句 (Tango no Sekku). However, this is a different event to こどもの日 (Kodomo no hi). 端午の節句 came from China and cerebrate only boys. This day has the meaning of avoiding sickness and bad lucks.

On the other hand, こどもの日 cerebrate all the kids and it was established in 1948.

Nevertheless, most Japanese recognize those 2event as the same therefore we conduct traditional customs for each events all together.

What to do in 5th of May to cerebrate ?

-take a bath with blue iris (=blue flag)

Putting iris leaves in the bath makes the strong smell in the bathroom. This smell is believed to have a power to escape from illness. Also it is believed that iris leave bath enables people to get through the hot summer.

-display 鯉のぼり(Koinobori)

鯉のぼり is the several Carps shaped clothes on the stick and is put outside the house.

Displaying it in order to wish for becoming a strong kids and succeeding in the life.

Carp can survive not only in the clean water but also in the swamps. Moreover, there is a legend story called 登竜門 (Touryuumon) – In the old time in China, there was a carp which went up to the waterfall. This one became a dragon and he went up to the heaven in the end. From those stories, Carp was chosen for symbol of こどもの日, wishing for the kids to become strong and healthy.

-displaying 五月人形 (Gogatsu Ningyou) and 鎧兜 (Yoroi Kabuto)

五月人形 is a boy doll with weapons. 鎧兜 is the Samurai head wears. Those strong wears are believed to keep the kids safe from sick and accidents.

-Eating ちまき (Chinaki) or 柏餅 (Kashiwa Mochi)

ちまき is the rice cakes wrapped by bamboo skin, tied up with rush. This style came from China and still eaten in Kansai.

柏餅 is the rice cake with bean paste inside, wrapped by oak leave. As the oak leaves doesn’t fall off until the new sprout comes out, so it is considered as descendant prosperity. Oak tree is uneasy to grow in the Kansai area, so it has been common in Kanto.