Celebrate Obon! - August 2009

Celebrate Obon! - August 2009
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From August 2009
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This is from the August 2009 diversity calendar where we provided information about the Obon Festival. Read below for the information.

Obon Festival

Obon is one of the most important traditions for Japanese people. It is a Buddhist event and is the period of praying for the repose of the souls of one's ancestors. People believe that their ancestors' spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during obon. Obon is an important family gathering time and many people return to their hometowns.

People clean their houses and offer a variety of food such as vegetables and fruits to the spirits of ancestors in front of butsudan (Buddhist families altar). Butsudan is decorated with flower and chouchin (paper lanterns). On the 13th, chouchin are lit inside houses, and people go to their family's graves to call their ancestors' spirits back home. It's called mukaebon. In some regions, fires called mukaebi are lit at the entrances to homes to guide the ancestor's spirits. On the 16th, people bring the ancestor's spirits back to graves, hanging

chouchin painted with the family crest to guide the ancestors' spirits. It's called okuribon. In some regions, fires called okuribi are lit at entrances of homes to send the ancestors' spirits. During obon, the air in houses and cemeteries in Japan are filled with the smell of incense called senko.

Toro Nagashi (floating paper lanterns) is a custom often held during obon. On the evening of the 15th, people send off ancestor's spirits with a paper lantern, lit by a candle inside and floated down a river to the ocean.

Audio: "Ether Real" by Density & Time from the YouTube audio library.