Children's Day (Japan)
Children's Day, known as Kodomo-no-Hi, is celebrated in Japan on May 5 each year. Established as a national holiday in 1948, it transitioned from its previous designation as Tango-no-Sekku, or Boys' Day, which focused on male children. This change occurred post-World War II as part of efforts to reshape Japan's identity. The day emphasizes the welfare and future happiness of all children, although it traditionally retains a stronger emphasis on boys compared to Girls' Day, celebrated on March 3.
Families celebrate by displaying colorful koinobori, fish-shaped windsocks representing family members, particularly the father and sons. Carp, admired for their resilience, symbolize strength and courage. Households may also showcase dolls that depict historical heroes, inspiring young ones and reflecting family pride. Traditional customs feature the use of iris leaves for cleansing, and families enjoy special foods like rice dumplings and cakes. The holiday often includes public events such as children's theater performances and community activities like the Kids' Olympics, fostering a sense of celebration and community among families.
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Children's Day (Japan)
Children's Day (Japan)
May 5 of every year is Kodomo-no-Hi, or Children's Day, in Japan. It first became a national holiday in 1948. Formerly it had been called Tango-no-Sekku, or Boys' Day, and was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month in the traditional Japanese calendar (a corresponding Girls' Day, or Hinamatsuri, was held on the third day of the third month). After World War II, however, the Occupation authorities, desirous of separating Japan from its militaristic past, renamed the day and scheduled it according to the Western Gregorian calendar. The holiday is for and about children, as families focus on the young and try to ensure their welfare and good fortune in the years to come. However, for many people the focus is still on boys in particular, and Girls' Day or Doll's Day is separately celebrated on March 3.
On May 5 traditional families hang colorful, fish-shaped windsocks called koinobori outside their homes—traditionally, a black one for the father, a red one for the mother, a blue one for the oldest son, and progressively smaller ones in other colors for younger sons; modern versions often include a fish for each child regardless of sex. The fish are carp, which the Japanese consider the most spirited of all because they can swim against the current and even surmount waterfalls. They are symbols of strength and courage. Within the house, dolls in the images of legendary heroes and warriors are displayed, complete with ornate helmets and miniature weapons. They are generally not meant to be played with; they are displayed to inspire the young, bring good luck, and show off the family's respect for the past.
The iris, with its sword-shaped leaves, is associated with this day, and people wash themselves with water in which iris leaves have been boiled to ensure good health during the coming year. They may also drink a decoction of hot rice wine and minced iris leaves, said to date back to the feudal samurai. Other traditional foods include rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in tough oak leaves. The girls of the household may enjoy these treats too, as their brothers' guests (roles are reversed during the Doll Festival, when the boys are the guests).
Public entertainments on Children's Day often feature performances of comic theater pieces, rehearsed by elementary school children for weeks before the holiday, to which their parents are invited. In Tokyo an annual Kids' Olympics, with a torch relay and various races for parents and children, has been attended by thousands of families.
Bibliography
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"Boys' Day, Children's Day, or Tango no Sekku (May 5)." Cross Currents, US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange, 2003, www.crosscurrents.hawaii.edu/content.aspx?lang=eng&site=japan&theme=cal&subtheme=CULTURHOL&unit=JCAL020. Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.
"Children's Day." Kids Web Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan, web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/may/children.html. Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.
"Kid's Corner: Children's Day." JapanInfo, Consulate General of Japan in New York, May 2017, www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/japaninfo/2017/05/01.html. Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.
Perez, Ai Faithy. "Kodomo No Hi: A Guide To Children’s Day In Japan: The Koinobori, The Armor & The Food Explained." Savvy Tokyo, 3 May 2019, savvytokyo.com/kodomo-no-hi-guide-childrens-day-japan/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.