Tango no sekku

File:五月人形.jpg

at Nakayama-dera.

, also known as , originally referred to an annual ceremony held at the Japanese imperial court on May 5. It was one of the five annual court ceremonies called . Since the Kamakura period (1185–1333), when the samurai class seized power, has become an event to ward off evil spirits for samurai boys. Japanese armour, (helmets) and Japanese swords were displayed in houses from the Kamakura period to the Muromachi period (1333–1573). From the Edo period (1603–1867), were displayed in homes, (carp streamers) were hung in gardens. From this period, the custom of decorating houses with offerings on spread to the peasant and classes, and paper began to be displayed. Since the Showa era (1926–1989), miniatures of samurai armor have become more popular than samurai dolls.

Until recently, was known as Boys' Day (also known as Feast of Banners) while was celebrated on March 3. In 1948, the government decreed this day to be a national holiday to celebrate the happiness of all children and to express gratitude toward mothers. It was renamed and changed to include both boys and girls.

It is the Japanese equivalent of Double Fifth and was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the lunisolar calendar. After Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5 (the fifth day of the fifth solar month). Other festivals are celebrated on the same day in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as the Duanwu Festival or Tuen Ng Festival (Cantonese), in Korea as the Dano Festival, and Vietnam as on the traditional lunar calendar date.

Etymology

means Template:Gloss and is a simplified form of , referring to the Chinese zodiac name for the fifth lunar month. Days of the week also have zodiac animals. Thus, originally meant 'the first horse day of the fifth month'. However, is a homonym for in Japanese, so during the Nara period the meaning shifted to become the fifth day of the fifth month. means a seasonal festival. There are five , including Jinjitsu (January 7), Jōshi (, March 3), Shichiseki (, July 7) and Chōyō (, September 9), along with . marks the beginning of summer or the rainy season.

History

File:Japanese Festival in Honor of the Birth of Children.jpg

, and . "Japanese Festival in Honor of the Birth of Children" from Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs, by J.M.W. Silver, illustrated by native drawings, published in London in 1867

Although it is not known precisely when began to be celebrated, it was probably during the reign of the Empress Suiko (593Template:Ndash628 AD). In Japan, was assigned to the fifth day of the fifth month after the Nara period.

was originally a day for women to purify the house by thatching the roof with irises, which were believed to be effective in repelling evil spirits, and for women to rest their bodies, but it was changed to a day for boys in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) when the samurai class took control of the government. The reason for this was that the iris was a plant that represented the samurai because its leaves were shaped like the blade of a Japanese sword, and the word , which means Template:Gloss, had the same pronunciation as and was therefore considered an auspicious plant for the samurai. Since this period, (Japanese horseback archery) was held on May 5 as a way to ward off evil spirits.

The custom of displaying miniature Japanese armor and (helmets) on Children's Day, called , has its origins in the Kamakura to Muromachi periods (1333–1573). Samurai used to take their armor, , and Japanese swords out of their storage boxes in May before the rainy season to take care of them. Since this was the time of the , they began to display armor, , and Japanese swords in the hope of protecting their children.

File:Two samurai dolls (28146117425).jpg

Two

During the Edo period (1603–1867), celebrations became extravagant, and samurai households began to display in addition to real armor, , and Japanese swords. Ordinary households began to display paper . The custom of bathing in the bathtub with irises on May 5 began in this period.

File:Utagawa Hiroshige - Suido Bridge and Surugadai, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Edo Meisho Hyakkei) - Google Art Project.jpg

Ukiyo-e by Utagawa Hiroshige depicting . Edo period

The custom of decorating (carp streamers) on Children's Day originated in the Edo period. During the Edo period (1603–1867), samurai families began to decorate their yards with or flags, which were colored with (family crests) to represent military units, during . The and were then merged, and the first appeared in Edo (now Tokyo). The colorful as they are modernly known became popular in the Meiji era (1868–1912).

After Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar, the date was moved to May 5 of the new calendar year. Until 1948, Children's Day was known as Boys' Day (also known as Feast of Banners), celebrating boys and recognizing fathers, as the counterpart to Hinamatsuri, or "Girl's Day" on March 3. In 1948, the name was changed to Children's Day to include both male and female children, as well as recognizing mothers along with fathers and family qualities of unity.

In the Showa era (1926–1989), the popularity shifted from samurai dolls to miniature armor, and since the 21st century, miniature have become popular, probably due to the size of Japanese houses.

(sticky rice cakes filled with red bean jam and wrapped in oak leaves) and (sticky sweet rice wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf) are traditionally served on this day. The oak leaf used for is said to be a tree whose old leaves do not fall off until new leaves appear, and is considered a good-luck charm representing prosperity of offspring.

Since irises are believed to have medicinal properties and to ward off evil, they are used for various purposes on . For example, people would take a bath with irises in the bathtub, soak thinly sliced iris roots or leaves in sake and drink it, or put irises in thin washi (Japanese traditional paper) before putting it in their pillows and going to bed.

See also

• Aging of Japan
• Double Fifth
• Golden Week
• International Day of the Boy Child

References

• Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Template:ISBN; OCLC 48943301

External links

• Kids Web Japan
• Video on Children Day in Fukushima, Japan
• Video on Children Day in Coffs Harbour, Australia