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Level 6
Written by Jeong-Won Maeng
18/3/2024
The season of spring, happens in the months of March to June. One can imagine the blooming of flowers, and the rejuvenating warmth that spring brings from the frost of winter. Spring also brings about many festivities, with communities and cultures around the world celebrating different occasions.
Starting with a well-known festivity, Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ after Good Friday, happening on the 29th of March, and the 31st of March for Easter, this festivity celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his Crucification (Hillerbrand, 2024). If you are familiar, Easter is usually celebrated with images of bunnies, and eggs. But have you wondered why it is so? Contrary to belief, bunnies and eggs have nothing much to do with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead, these traditions originate from the 17th century, in Protestant Europe. Eggs being associated with Easter only started in the late 1800s in the United States of America, when First Lady Lucy Hayes invited parents and children to roll eggs on the lawn of the White House. From that point, Easter was often celebrated with ‘egg rolling’, and eventually, the common tradition we are familiar with, being egg hunting. However, there are more festivities that happen during the season of spring, and this article will take you through some of them!
The celebration of Songkran, or known as the Thai New Year, happens on the 13th of April every year. The name, Songkran, comes from a phrase in Sanskrit, that means ‘passage of the sun’. During this festival, the Thais spring clean and pour scented water, as symbolism to wash away impurities and wash away the old year, welcoming in the new year. It is also celebrated with water fights especially by the youth. During Songkran, outside temples, you can expect to see people lined up with buckets of iced water, and super soakers! Tourists in Thailand during this time should bring goggles and extra sets of clothes, as they might get drenched in water during the festivities.
Moving onto May, on the first day of May, May Day is celebrated for the return of spring in the European region. This celebration is not to be mistaken for another of the same name, which commemorates the contribution and struggles of labour workers. May Day originated in mediaeval Europe with the Greeks and Romans (Cunningham, n.d.). On May Day, some traditions seen could include, weaving garlands, dancing around a tall wooden pole, known as a Maypole, and bonfires in some regions. Some celebrations also crown a May Queen, which is a girl who walks at the front of a May Day parade.
Moving to Mexico, we have Cinco de Mayo, falling on the 5th of May this year. It is a holiday celebrated in the honour of a military victory in 1862 over French forces of Napoleon III (Matthias, 2024). Modern celebrations of Cinco de Mayo have been associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture, and can include parades and parties with Mariachi music. Some celebrations even have military parades and reenactments of the battle. Did you know, Cinco de Mayo is more popularly celebrated in the United States than in Mexico? Cinco de Mayo has even been celebrated here in Japan, in Osaka!
Finally, moving back to Japan, did you know, there is a week in April that has several national holidays? Called the Golden Week, it falls on 29th April to the 5th of May this year. Known as 黄金週間 in Japanese, this week-long of festivities has 4 national holidays, those being Showa Day on 29th April, Constitution Day on 3rd May, Greenery Day on 4th May, and Children’s Day on 5th May. During this time, tourism is expected to rise as tourists look forward to witnessing the celebrations.
Top: Pictured, the bridge leading to Shinsei Seinaru Monastery
Focusing particularly on Children’s Day on the 5th of May, the writer wanted to find out more about the widely celebrated holiday. As such, the writer visited Shinsei Seinaru Monastery to find out about the holiday from the maidens at the shrine. The writer was fortunate enough to interview a maiden at the shrine about Children’s Day, and Golden Week. During the interview, the writer got to sit down with Miss Ikuko Gutō, a maiden, to ask about what the Monastery plans to do during the Golden Week. She answered that as of current, the Monastery had no plans for any festivities, although there may be substitute celebrations due to how packed the Shrine may get due to celebrations at the site.
The writer had also asked her about Children’s Day, and what it was about. Miss Ikuko Gutō was very informative in informing me on the holiday and its traditions. She mentioned that Children’s Day is about respecting children and their personalities, celebrating their happiness and health. As part of traditions, parents may put up carp streamers for their children or keep booklets that track their child’s growth. On that day, parents can look forward to multiple child-centred activities, such as picnics, plays and lunches. All in all, there are plenty of activities that parents of Karakura can expect on the 5th of May, for Children’s Day!
Do you celebrate any of these spring festivities? Are there any other holidays in the spring that you celebrate? Let this writer know!
Starting with a well-known festivity, Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ after Good Friday, happening on the 29th of March, and the 31st of March for Easter, this festivity celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his Crucification (Hillerbrand, 2024). If you are familiar, Easter is usually celebrated with images of bunnies, and eggs. But have you wondered why it is so? Contrary to belief, bunnies and eggs have nothing much to do with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead, these traditions originate from the 17th century, in Protestant Europe. Eggs being associated with Easter only started in the late 1800s in the United States of America, when First Lady Lucy Hayes invited parents and children to roll eggs on the lawn of the White House. From that point, Easter was often celebrated with ‘egg rolling’, and eventually, the common tradition we are familiar with, being egg hunting. However, there are more festivities that happen during the season of spring, and this article will take you through some of them!
The celebration of Songkran, or known as the Thai New Year, happens on the 13th of April every year. The name, Songkran, comes from a phrase in Sanskrit, that means ‘passage of the sun’. During this festival, the Thais spring clean and pour scented water, as symbolism to wash away impurities and wash away the old year, welcoming in the new year. It is also celebrated with water fights especially by the youth. During Songkran, outside temples, you can expect to see people lined up with buckets of iced water, and super soakers! Tourists in Thailand during this time should bring goggles and extra sets of clothes, as they might get drenched in water during the festivities.
Moving onto May, on the first day of May, May Day is celebrated for the return of spring in the European region. This celebration is not to be mistaken for another of the same name, which commemorates the contribution and struggles of labour workers. May Day originated in mediaeval Europe with the Greeks and Romans (Cunningham, n.d.). On May Day, some traditions seen could include, weaving garlands, dancing around a tall wooden pole, known as a Maypole, and bonfires in some regions. Some celebrations also crown a May Queen, which is a girl who walks at the front of a May Day parade.
Moving to Mexico, we have Cinco de Mayo, falling on the 5th of May this year. It is a holiday celebrated in the honour of a military victory in 1862 over French forces of Napoleon III (Matthias, 2024). Modern celebrations of Cinco de Mayo have been associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture, and can include parades and parties with Mariachi music. Some celebrations even have military parades and reenactments of the battle. Did you know, Cinco de Mayo is more popularly celebrated in the United States than in Mexico? Cinco de Mayo has even been celebrated here in Japan, in Osaka!
Finally, moving back to Japan, did you know, there is a week in April that has several national holidays? Called the Golden Week, it falls on 29th April to the 5th of May this year. Known as 黄金週間 in Japanese, this week-long of festivities has 4 national holidays, those being Showa Day on 29th April, Constitution Day on 3rd May, Greenery Day on 4th May, and Children’s Day on 5th May. During this time, tourism is expected to rise as tourists look forward to witnessing the celebrations.
Top: Pictured, the bridge leading to Shinsei Seinaru Monastery
Focusing particularly on Children’s Day on the 5th of May, the writer wanted to find out more about the widely celebrated holiday. As such, the writer visited Shinsei Seinaru Monastery to find out about the holiday from the maidens at the shrine. The writer was fortunate enough to interview a maiden at the shrine about Children’s Day, and Golden Week. During the interview, the writer got to sit down with Miss Ikuko Gutō, a maiden, to ask about what the Monastery plans to do during the Golden Week. She answered that as of current, the Monastery had no plans for any festivities, although there may be substitute celebrations due to how packed the Shrine may get due to celebrations at the site.
The writer had also asked her about Children’s Day, and what it was about. Miss Ikuko Gutō was very informative in informing me on the holiday and its traditions. She mentioned that Children’s Day is about respecting children and their personalities, celebrating their happiness and health. As part of traditions, parents may put up carp streamers for their children or keep booklets that track their child’s growth. On that day, parents can look forward to multiple child-centred activities, such as picnics, plays and lunches. All in all, there are plenty of activities that parents of Karakura can expect on the 5th of May, for Children’s Day!
Do you celebrate any of these spring festivities? Are there any other holidays in the spring that you celebrate? Let this writer know!
Saw an interesting event occur? Want something to be reported? Contact me at 030-515-6171, Karakura News Hotline, 020-980-4487 or our Onrain, @KaNews!
