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| May 5th is known as Tango no Sekku,
more commonly known today as Boy¡¯s Day. It is a day
to pray for the healthy growth of boys. People raise
koinobori in their yard, eat kashiwa mochi and chimaki,
and soak in shoubu bath. This is probably the common
way of spending the day. |
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This tradition came
from China, but carried out a little differently.
Originally they would hang shoubu and yomogi or put
them in baths. The shoubu has a strong fragrance,
and it was used to keep evil spirits away. However,
since the Edo period, they associated shoubu the flower
with the idea of valuing martial arts and military
affairs, which is also pronounced ¡°shoubu¡± in Japanese.
Therefore they correlated that with hoping for boys¡¯
healthy growth and advancement, and that is how the
event changed from chasing away evil to a boys¡¯ celebration.
The raising of the koinobori originates from the Chinese
legend that a koi swam up the rapid waters of a waterfall
known as Touryu. One can see that this koinobori and
the armor and helmet decorations all connect to the
hope that the boys would survive and prosper through
their tough lives. |
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| The
kashiwa mochi that people eat on this day is made
of anko that is surrounded by mochi that is mixed
with joushinko and katakuriko (potato starch) and
wrapped with kashiwa (oak) leaf. The oak leaves
do not fall until new buds show, and they symbolize
that the parents do not die until they have offspring,
representing the safety of the family name.
The elegant and aristocratic practice of bathing
in shoubu baths evolved, with the rise of bushi,
to a realistic event that prays for military success,
continuing the family line, and advancing in careers.
Either way, the boys today and in the past had to
live through hard times that accompanied the era.
With that in mind, for parents who have boys, a
day to wish for their well being might be more important
than you think. |
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