Thanks to Our Ancestors - ใ็ Obon
Aug 14, 2022
ๆฅๆฌใงใฏใกใใใฉไปๆฅใ8ๆ14ๆฅใซใๅ ็ฅใใพใๅธฐๅฎ ใใฆใใ้ ใงใใ่ฆใใชใใฆใใใฎๅญๅจใไฟกใใใฎใๆฅๆฌไบบใฎๅฟใฎใใใชๆฐใใใพใใไปๅใฏใ็ใซใคใใฆใโ ๆฅๆฌไบบใฎๆ่ฌใฎๅฟใโกใ็ใซใใใใจใโขไธปใชใคใใณใใซใคใใฆใ่ฉฑใใใใใจๆใใพใใไฝใๅญฆใณใใใใฐใใใใใงใใ
Today is 14th August and our ancestors have arrived home. It seems that Japanese people believe something invisible. In this article I would like to share about 1) Japanese soul - appreciation, 2) things to do during ‘obon’ and 3) the famous related events. I hope it will be beneficial for your learning.
โ ๅนดใซไธๅใ็ใซใชใใจใใๅ ็ฅใใพใใใใฎไธใใซๆปใฃใฆใใใจไฟกใใใใฆใใพใใใใใฏใๅ ็ฅใใพใซใ็คผใใใใใๆฉไผใซใชใใพใใไปใฎ่ชๅใใใใฎใฏใๅ ็ฅใใพใฎใใใใ ใจใใๆ่ฌใฎๆฐๆใกใฎ่กจใใชใใงใใญใใใใชใๅ ็ฅใใพใๅนณๅฎใงใใใใจใ็ฅใๆฉไผใงใใใใพใใ
1)We believe that our ancestors come back to ‘konoyo (this/our world)' once a year. This is a great opportunity to appreciate them. This is because we are here now thanks to them. Therefore, we wish for their peace at the same time.
โกใ็ใฏใใใฆใ8ๆ13ๆฅใใ8ๆ16ๆฅใพใงใงใใใๆฑไบฌใงใฏๆๆฒปๆไปฃไปฅๅใฎๆงๆฆใซๅพใฃใฆใ7ๆ13ๆฅใใ7ๆ15ๆฅใ ใใใงใใไธ่ฌ็ใซ13ๆฅใซๅฎถใฎๅใง็ซใใใใฆใใๅ ็ฅใใพใ่ฟทใใชใใงๅฎถใซๅธฐใฃใฆใใใใใใใซใใพใใ14ๆฅใจ15ๆฅใฎ้ใซใๅขๅใใใใ่ฆชๆใง้ใพใฃใฆ้ฃไบใใใพใใ16ๆฅใฎๅคๆนใใใใฎไธใใซ็กไบใซๅธฐใใใใใซ็ซใใใใพใใ
‘Obon’ is between 13th and 16th of August but in Tokyo, it is between 13th and 16th of July by following the old calendar (lunar calendar)used before Meiji period. Normally on 13th, people make a small fire in front of the house in order to show the way to come back home for the ancestors. On 14th and 15th they visit the cemetery and have a gathering with their relatives. On 16th, they make a small fire again in the evening in order to show the way back to ‘anoyo (that over there/their world)’
โขใ็ใฎใคใใณใใใใใใใใใพใใ16ๆฅใซใฏไบฌ้ฝใงใฏๅฑฑใฎไธใซใๅคงใใฎๅญใฎ็ซใใใใพใใๅๅฐใง็ฏ็ฏญ๏ผใจใใใ๏ผๆตใใใใใพใใใใใฏใญใฃใณใใซใซ็ซใใคใใฆๅทใชใฉใซๆตใใพใใใพใใ่ฑ็ซๅคงไผใ็่ธใใใ็ใซ้ข้ฃใใใคใใณใใงใใ
3) There are a variety of events related to ‘obon’. For example, on 16th, the fire of the letter -‘dai(big)’is made in Kyoto. And you can see floating candles on the river in many places. Firework festivals and bon-dances are also enjoyed around the ‘obon’ period.
ใกใชใฟใซใ็ใฏ็ฅญๆฅใงใฏใใใพใใใใไผใฟใซใชใไผ็คพใๅคใใงใใ้ทใไผใฟใๅฉ็จใใฆๅธฐ็ใใฆ่ฆชๆใจ้ใใไบบใๆ ่กใซๅบใใใไบบใใใพใใ
In addition, ‘obon’ is not a national holiday but many companies make a holiday during this time. Some people go back to their hometown and some go on a trip.
ใใฐใใๅคใซๆฅๆฌใซๅธฐใฃใฆใใพใใใใใใใพใงใฏใๅขๅใใซ่กใฃใใใ็ฅ็ถๆฏใฎ็ฅญๅฃใใใ่ฆชๆใฎๅฎถใซใใใใคใซ่กใฃใใใใพใใใไปใใ็ฅ็ถใใใฉใฝใณใงๅใฃใ้ใกใใซใๅคงๅใซใใฆใใพใใ
I have not been back to Japan in summer but I used to visit the cemetery and meet my relatives at ‘obon’. My precious thing from my grandfather is his gold medal when he won the marathon before I was born.
ใฟใชใใใฎๅฝใงใใใ็ใใฎใใใช่กไบใใใใพใใใใๅ ็ฅใใพใธใฎ่ใๆนใฏไธ็ๅ ฑ้ใงใใใใใ
Do you have something like ‘obon’ in your country too? Is the attitude towards our ancestors similar or common among us? I hope you have learnt something for your life.
ใ่ผใใฆใ- Enrich your life!
Mineko Arai
Managing Director
Arai Academy of Japanese Studies
masterspeakingjapanese.com/blog
araiacademy.com
FREE Culture Learning!
Join our mailing list to receive culture learning contents and the latest news from our team.
Don't worry, your information will never be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
