is a

public holiday in Japan were established by the of 1948 (as amended). A provision of the law establishes that when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day shall become a public holiday, known as . Additionally, any day that falls between two other na ...

which takes place annually on May 5 and is the final celebration in Golden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness. It was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government in 1948, but has been a day of celebration in Japan since ancient times.

History

The day was originally called one of the five annual ceremonies held at the imperial courtand was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the

Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese calendar (also known as the Agricultural Calendar ��曆; 农历; ''Nónglì''; 'farming calendar' Former Calendar ��曆; 旧历; ''Jiùlì'' Traditional Calendar ��曆; 老历; ''Lǎolì'', is a lunisolar calendar ...

. After Japan switched to the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

, the date was moved to May 5.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

. ; , p. 948 Until 1948, Children's Day was known as Boys' Day (also known as Feast of Banners), celebrating

boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...

s and recognizing fathers, as the counterpart to

Hinamatsuri , also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a religious (Shinto) holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3March of each year. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)"Hina Matsuri"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 313. Platforms covered with a red carpet–mater ...

, or "Girl's Day" on . 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.

Celebration

On this day, families raise the ''

koinobori , meaning "carp streamer" in Japanese, are carp-shaped windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate , a traditional calendrical event which is now designated as , a national holiday in Japan. are made by drawing carp patterns on pape ...

'',

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

-shaped windsock (carp because of the Chinese legend that a carp that swims upstream becomes a

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

and flies to Heaven, and the resemblance of the waving

windsock A windsock (also called a wind cone) is a conical textile tube that resembles a giant sock. It can be used as a basic indicator of wind speed and direction, or as decoration. They are typically used at airports to show the direction and strength ...

to swimming fish), with a black carp for the father, a red or pink for the mother, and one carp (usually blue, and sometimes green and orange too) for each child. Traditionally, when celebrated as Boys’ Day, the red ''koinobori'' was for the eldest son with blue and additional colors for younger brothers. Families may also display a samurai

doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...

, sometimes riding on a large carp (often representing the Japanese folk heroes

Kintarō is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a yama-uba ("mountain witch") on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shuten-dōji, the terror of t ...

Momotarō is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...

), and/or the traditional Japanese military helmet, ''

kabuto ' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors which, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Note that in the Jap ...

'', due to their tradition as symbols of strength and vitality. ''

Kashiwa mochi Kashiwa mochi (Japanese: かしわ餅, 柏餅) is a wagashi (Japanese confection) of white mochi surrounding a sweet ''anko'' (red bean paste) filling with a Kashiwa leaf wrapped around it. Unlike the cherry blossom leaf used in sakura mochi, the ...

'' (sticky rice cakes filled with red bean jam and wrapped in

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

leaves) and ''chimaki'' (sticky sweet rice wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf) are traditionally served on this day. ''

Akumaki is a Japanese-style confection, or ''wagashi'' made in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto Prefecture during the Boys’ Festival on May 5. It is called more widely chimaki in Japan, and come from Chinese zongzi, that is eaten for the double 5 fe ...

'' (name in Kagoshima Prefecture, of a dish called more widely in Japan ''chimaki'' (ちまき)), the Japanese version of the

zongzi ''Zongzi'' (; ), ''rouzong'' () or simply ''zong'' (Cantonese Jyutping: ''zung2'') is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species ''Indocalamus t ...

, eat in China for double five festival.

References

External links

Kids Web Japan

Video on Children Day in Fukushima, Japan

Video on Children Day in Coffs Harbour, Australia
{{authority control Public holidays in Japan Festivals in Japan May observances Children's Day

History

Celebration

See also

References

External links