Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

christian new year

New Year traditions create a sense of responsibility and also ties an emotional bond of togetherness, belief and faith. New Year traditions are being followed with immense devotion and joy by the people of Christian community. Tradition of New Year Baby is used as a symbol of rebirth by many Christians. Image of a baby with New Year's banner is displayed at many houses.

New Year festivities are incomplete without singing the traditional Auld Lang Syne song. It means 'the good old days'. People sing this song altogether on the New Year's Eve. Traditionally, it is thought one's fate is determined according to the type of food consumed on the first day of the year. People prepare auspicious meals and celebrate the New Year by eating black-eyed peas. Similar to this, the tradition of first-footing is also practiced very seriously by Christians. The visitor should be a tall and dark-haired man.

One tradition of the season is the making of New Year's resolutions. Many people keep New Year resolutions in the coming year. They even pledge to get their desires fulfilled. Modern New Year resolutions are the promise to lose weight or quit smoking and many more.

Another famous tradition of New Year Parades is attended with excitement by people of all age groups. These parades are preceded by the football game which is the main attraction of the festival. Last but not the least, New Year traditions also include the bursting of crackers and other fireworks to scare off the evil spirits and bring in good fortune.

hindus new year

Multifarious religions are practiced in India and so are the celebrations of various festivals. Hindu New Year is celebrated with gaiety and pomp all over India. Verve of the festival can be seen mostly among the people of North India and Gujarat. New Year in Southern India also emphasize the Hindu New Year but the date and New Year traditions vary.

• Punjab : New year starts on 13th April.
• Assam : New year starts on 14th or 15th of April.
• Bengal : New year starts on 14th or 15th April.
• Gujarat : New Year starts on Karthik Shukla Pratipada.
• Kerala : New year starts in the month of Medam (on the day when the Sun enters in the constellation Leo).
• Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka : New Year falls on Chaitra Shuddha Prathipade.
• Sikkim : New Year starts on 18th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan Lunar Calendar.
• Maharashtra : New Year starts in the month of Chaitra
• Tamil Nadu : New year starts on 13th or 14th of April.

People light oil lamps and decorate the house with auspicious flowers those with the color like pink, red, purple or yellow. Rangoli design is also an attractive part of New Year decorations. Indians get up early in the morning, take bath and wear new clothes. They bring home deities of Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth) and Lord Ganesha. Prayers are offered and prasad is distributed among the family members. At the time of New Year, gifts and sweets are exchangd with each other. People consider this festival to be an auspicious time to begin New Year

The Spanish Culture

Spain is known for its great diversity and cultural heritage. Due to its ideal geographical location, the culture in Spain is greatly influenced by people of all cultures, ranging from the Greeks and Romans to the Muslims, North Africans and Phoenicians. The language spoken by Spaniards i.e. Spanish (Espanol) is known by different names as follows: Castillan, Catalan, Galician, Basque and Aranese.

Spanish Customs and Traditions
Fiestas: The different festivals/fiestas which continue almost 365 days of the year in this country are the highlights of Spanish culture. The 'Tomato Festival' (la Tomatina) is one such popular fiesta. This festival (la Tomatino) is celebrated every year in Bunyol; it takes place in the last week of August. The la Tomatino is kind of a 'tomato battle' played both by locals and tourists. Highlights of festivals celebrated in Spain are the fireworks, dances and music. People wear traditional attire during these festivals.

                                                      la Tomatino

Siesta: The siesta is one of the most famous aspects of Spanish life - that dead period in late afternoon when everything shuts down in Spain, in theory so people can go to sleep. Spain is a hot country, especially mid-afternoon, and the traditional reason for the siesta is for the workers in the fields to shelter from the heat. They would then feel refreshed after their sleep and would work until quite late in the evening, longer than they would have been able to without the siesta. The Spanish take the siesta very seriously, even going so far as to have a Sleeping Competition in its honor. 

Flamenco: In Spain, Flamenco is not just a dance form. It is actually an art form that consists of singing, dancing, guitar, hand-claps, etc. This passionate form of dance first originated in Andalusia and was originally considered to be a gypsy dance. It is a flamboyant dance that is accompanied by the soulful tunes of the guitar and a song (cante), which is the soul of the whole art of doing the dancing the Flamenco. At its best, it is one of the true classical cultural contributions that Spain has to offer.

                                                          Flamenco

After the customs and traditions, let's take a look at some interesting fun facts about Spain and Spanish!

1. In Spain, there are more than 8000 kms of beaches. That explains why the beaches are what attracts a lot of tourists from all around the world to this country.
2. Most of the rain that happens in Spain is in the mountainous regions. The plains hardly receive any rain fall.
3. Soccer in Spain is an important part of life of the people in Spain. It is said that Spanish children learn to walk and play soccer simultaneously. 
4. Spaniards often start the evening with el paseo, a leisurely stroll through the main streets or along the paseo maritimo in the coastal resorts. 
5. In this country, people eat a very late lunch - between 2 pm to 4pm. Dinner is mostly had after ten in the night. Most Spaniards prefer to have breakfast in eateries or small hotels rather than having it at home.
6. The Spanish tradition of tapas is a good way to sample the local food. Tapas are small dishes of snacks which are served anytime especially in small bars. They cover all types of food from seafood to vegetables. Many Spanish make an evening of hopping from bar to bar trying different tapas.
7. The diet in Spain is reported to be one of the most healthy diets in the world. The combination of olives, fresh fruit, seafood and fresh vegetables can help sustain a healthy and long life. 
8. The tap water in Madrid, capital city of Spain is so clean that it can be drunk as it is, without filtering.
9. Spain is famous for its aromatic wines and the drinking age in the country is 18. 
10. Spanish men tend to maintain eye contact with females for longer, although this does not mean anything.
11. The teens date in groups till they turn eighteen. Only after that they go out as a couple.
12. When the Spaniards talk to each other, they stand very close and touch each other every now and then on the shoulder while talking.
13. Spanish people are known to be fun-loving, music lovers, sports crazy, and the country is host to a number of the most-visited tourist spots in the world.
14. Spanish New Year tradition is to eat 12 grapes at midnight, one grape for each stroke of the clock, indicating a sign of good luck. 
15. The Spanish celebrate Christmas till the 6 January! They believe that on this day the three kings had visited baby Jesus and presented him with gifts. 

Holidays and Festivals in Ireland

Much of the Irish calendar still today reflects the old pagan customs, with later Christian traditions also having significant influence. Christmas in Ireland has several local traditions, some in no way connected with Christianity. On 26 December (St. Stephen's Day), there is a custom of "Wrenboys" who call door to door with an arrangement of assorted material (which changes in different localities) to represent a dead wren "caught in the furze", as their rhyme goes.

Brigid's Day (1 February, known as Imbolc or Candlemas) also does not have its origins in Christianity, being instead another religious observance superimposed at the beginning of spring. The Brigid's cross made from rushes on this day represents a pre-Christian solar wheel.

Other pre-Christian festivals, whose names survive as Irish month names, are Bealtaine (May), Lúnasa (August) and Samhain (November). The last is still widely observed as Halloween, followed by All Saints' Day, another Christian holiday associated with a traditional one. Important church holidays include Easter, and various Marian observances.

The national holiday in the Republic is Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March and is marked by parades and festivals in cities and towns across the island of Ireland, and by the Irish diaspora around the world. The festival is in remembrance to Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, and legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God'.

The Twelfth of July, which commemorates William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne and the beginning of the Protestant Ascendancy, is celebrated by many Protestants throughout the province of Ulster.

cherry blossom festival

Hanami is an important Japanese custom and is held all over Japan in spring. Hanami literally means viewing flowers, but it generally indicates cherry blossom viewing. It's said that the origin of hanami dates back to more than one thousand years ago when aristocrats enjoyed looking at beautiful cherry blossoms and wrote poems.
Nowadays, people in Japan have fun viewing cherry blossoms, drinking and eating. It is like a picnic under the trees. People bring home-cooked meals, do BBQ, or buy take-out food for hanami. In popular hanami spots, there are even competitions for the best spots. If you do not like a crowd, you can go to neighborhood parks/gardens or other quiet places. The most popular kind of Japanese cherry (sakura) tree which can be found everywhere in Japan is somei-yoshino (Yedoensis). Sakura trees bloom at different times throughout Japan, and the blooming period of somei-yoshino is usually short.
Cherry blossom festivals take place all over the country. Most of them are held between March to May, though other regions have them in January, February, and June, based on their location. Festival dates are usually determined with reference to cherry blossom forecasts and vary from year to year.
Gorgeous flowers are main attractions of the festivals, but a variety of traditional Japanese performing arts presented in many festivals can't be missed. Joining tea ceremonies held under cherry trees can be a memorable experience as well. It's fun to stop by festival vendors which sell various food and souveniors, including regional crafts and speciality food in the region. It's notable that many cherry blossom festivals hold light-up events in the evening.

Japan festival- doll festival

JUST as there is Boys’ Festival (which is called Children’s Day now) on May 5, girls celebrate “Hina Matsuri” (Doll Festival) on March 3. Unlike Children’s Day, it is not a national holiday. It is also called “Momo no Sekku” (Peach Festival). In the lunar calendar of ancient Japan, the day coincided with the blooming of peach blossoms.
Hina Matsuri features the annual display of hina (tiny dolls made of paper or cloth) in households with young daughters, as a wish for their good health, happiness and marriage.
Dolls are used in purification rites. There is a traditional belief that one’s illness and misfortune can be transferred to a doll through touch.
The origins of displaying hina dolls date back to the Heian period (794-1192) when the custom of playing with hina dolls merged with a seasonal purification event of Chinese origin.

Colourful array: A grand display of hina dolls and tsurushibina at Seseragi park, Yokohama.

After the Meiji period (1868 -1912), elaborate hina dolls which were formerly crafted for the aristocrats and upper class, caught on among the commoners. Over time, the dolls became more extravagant.
There is no consensus on when to display the dolls but the ideal time would be from mid-February to prevent them from collecting dust. However, an old wives’ tale has it that if the dolls displayed in homes are not put away by March 3, the daughter will marry late.
In the olden days, chests of drawers were used as a makeshift display for the dolls.
A complete set usually comprises a hinadan (tiered stand) covered in bright red fabric, with miniature replicated paraphernalia and 15 Imperial court characters garbed in glamorous ancient costumes of the Heian period. The exquisite set takes up space in homes and costs an arm and a leg. Thus it is a priceless heirloom.
The dolls and paraphernalia are arranged in descending order. The odairisama (emperor/prince) and ohinasama (empress/princess) grace the top tier. On the second shelf are the three ladies-in-waiting serving sake. Five musicians occupy the third platform. Two guards are positioned on the fourth step, while three servants sit on the fifth step. The sixth and seventh tier hold miniature crockery, furniture, brazier, food boxes, an artificial mandarin orange tree and cherry tree, a palanquin, an ox-drawn carriage and other paraphernalia.
Accompanying the dolls are two gilded folding screens, bonbori (lampstands), vases of fake peach blossoms, banquet dishes and diamond-shaped stands with hishi-mochi (diamond-shaped rice-based sweets).
Hina Matsuri celebration comes with food carrying symbolic implications such as chirashi-zushi (vinegared rice topped with colourful ingredients), clam soup (for a good match), hishi-mochi and arare (rice snacks) bearing colours of white (for purity), green (representing verdant growth) and pink (signifying auspiciousness). For girls, they drink alcohol-free amazake (sweet, white, rice wine).
When a volunteer group organised a free origami lesson on making hina dolls for foreigners to learn about Japanese culture, I jumped at the opportunity. Although hina dolls are of no religious significance to me, origami dolls fascinate me.
All the materials were provided for free. With the given instructions (albeit complicated) and guidance of a volunteer, I crafted a pair of Imperial dolls and took several snapshots. However, I gave it away to an elderly Japanese friend who wanted it for display, despite having no daughters.
The availability of space and affordability have resulted in the downsizing of the hinadan to the Imperial pair or a three-tier set. Some families with young daughters do not celebrate Hina Matsuri whereas other people get into the festive mood with any decorations depicting the hina dolls.

Origami hina dolls arranged in Kansai style.

Products and snacks featuring the hina dolls are sold in stores. One can even find chocolates shaped like the Imperial couple!
To keep the tradition alive, many places promote the festival. Katsuura in Chiba prefecture held a big Hina Matsuri of 30,000 dolls displayed at several locations from Feb 19 till March 3. The dolls were borrowed or donated. Tsurushibina (hanging hina dolls and ornaments) enhanced the displays.
A more notable venue was Tomisaki Shrine which had 2,000 dolls displayed on 60 steps draped in red cloth and illuminated from evening onwards. It was an exquisite sight, indeed!
Except for rainy days, the volunteers and staff had the painstaking task of displaying the dolls on every step, every day, and keeping them at night. The festival was celebrated with great pomp on Feb 20, with little children parading in traditional costumes.
An old traditional house at Seseragi park in Tsuzuki ward, Yokohama, is exhibiting three sets of hina dolls and tsurushibina from Feb 23 to March 31. Among the displays this year are cute rabbit-shaped hina dolls.
Now when I compared my origami hina dolls picture with the picture of the hina dolls display I took at a hospital, I realised I had placed the order of Imperial couple in the Kansai style, with the odairisama on the right instead of the left, as in the Kanto region

Powwows

                                          Powwow Celebration

A Powwow, Wacipi in the Dakota Language, was originally a spring event to celebrate the seasonal renewal of new life. Powwows are traditional Native American gatherings to renew thought of the old ways and to preserve a rich heritage. They are held annually all over the United States and Canada.

Modern Native Americans still hold powwows. While these still retain religious elements, they are primarily social events. They allow old friends to get reacquainted and new friendships to form.Usually the public is invited and vendors set up booths to sell everything from Native American jewelry to traditional Native American foods, such as fry bread and Indian tacos. They are also occasions for traditional singing and dancing, which can be both entertaining and educational for non-Native Americans attending the powwow.

A powwow session begins with the Grand Entry, during which all the dancers line up by dance style and age, then enter the arena while one of the host drums sings a special song. Normally, the first in are veterans carrying flags and eagle staffs, followed by the head dancers, then the dancers follow in a specific order: Men's Traditional, Men's Grass Dance, Men's Fancy, Women's Traditional, Women's Jingle, and Women's Fancy. Teens and small children then follow in the same order.

The circle, an important symbol to Native American people, is used extensively in powwows. The dancers are in the center, the drums and the audience circle around them and the concessions surround the gathering. The powwow brings the circle of people closer to family, friends and the comfort and vitality of their culture. 

There are many different types of songs sung at powwows such as honor songs, veteran songs and war party songs, ranging from war and religion to various social customs. These songs are usually sung in "non-lexical vocables". The singers usually accompany themselves on drums. In fact, this group is normally called the "Drum." The number of participants can vary, but there are usually at least four. While the Drum sings and drums, the dancers dance.

Visiting a powwow is more than an entertaining way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Although powwows have evolved over time and the singing and dancing seen at a modern powwow is different from former times, they are still evocative of a bygone age. They help to keep alive the traditional cultures of the Native American peoples.

Thailand Vegetarian Festival

Not for the faint-hearted, the Pukhet Vegetarian Festival is a truly bizarre, don’t-try-this-at-home festival. Infamous for its macabre morning processions, the nine-day purification ritual showcase some really devoted devotees, often in deep hypnotic trance states, eager to puncture their cheeks with basically anything they can think of - knives, spikes, swords, axes and even bikes. Apparently, the larger and more painful the better. Other acts of self-torture include fire-walking, soaking in hot oil and climbing bladed ladders. Once your stomach feels settled, peruse the stalls of the festival market and sample Thai and Chinese vegetarian delights.

Buffalo racing

The annual Buffalo races, 28 September - 4 October 2009, are a hotly contested series of sprints across on an open space in front of the town’s municipal offices.
Tourists and the town’s residents turn out for these amazing races that have been featured in the past on CNN and the BBC as a must-see event.

The races are taken very seriously by the owners of the buffaloes. Prizes for the first nose past the finishing line guarantee owners go to considerable lengths to ensure their buffaloes are in tip-top condition.
Clouds of dust rise as these hefty animals pound down the short course at an alarming speed, reminiscent of a stampede. The crowd roars in support of the favourites and the atmosphere is as an enthralling as watching thoroughbred race horses.
Admittedly, mites slower than a race horse, but the buffaloes are no slouches when it comes to making a short dash for glory.

Although this day of fun and competition would succeed with just the buffaloes as the celebrities, there are other activities to make it a worthwhile outing for families.
A fair with food stalls and handicrafts appeals to visitors who love authentic Thai food, snacks and sweets. Then there are the rides for children, concerts of folk music and, of course, a beauty contest where the prize is the honour of being declared Miss Buffalo.
Not exactly the most adhering of titles for an aspiring beauty queen, but it does not seem to deter contestants from seeking the limelight of the catwalk.
Here is a festival that provides photo opportunities to capture an unusual adaptation of the 100-metre dash. Well worth seeing, is always the conclusion of those who make the effort to travel to Chonburi.

Nine Emperor Gods Festival

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is also one of the popular celebration among Chinese in Malaysia. On the eve of the ninth moon, temples of the deities hold a ceremony to invoke and welcome the nine emperors. Since the arrival of the gods are believed to be through the waterways, processions are held from temples to the sea-shore or river to symbolize this belief. Devotees dressed in traditional white, carrying incense and candles, await the arrival of their excellencies.

A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival. During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests are heard. Most devotees stay at the temple, eat vegetarian meals and recite continuous chanting of prayer. It is believed that there will be rain throughout the nine days of celebration.

The ninth day of the festival is its climax. A procession which draws scores of devotees send the deities back home.

Nang Songkran

According to the legend, the story has been involved with King Kabilaprom and Prince Thammaban. Born to a wealthy family, Prince Thammaban was very intelligent since he was only seven years old King Kabilaprom had asked him three questions with the conditions that if his answers were correct, King Kabilaprom was willing to sacrifice his head but if they were wrong, the Prince must do likewise.

And the questions focus on the good signs of a person at each period of the day from morning to noon until the evening.

To the surprise of the King, the Prince had answered the questions correctly. As per the good sign of a person in the morning is at the face, at the chest in the noon time and at the foot in the evening. The King then had to cut off his head as proposed. However, the King’s head had been so powerful that the whole world would be on fire if the head had touched the earth, that a serious drought would occurred and that all ocean water would dry up should it be thrown up in the sky or down in the ocean respectively. Evidently, the King had assigned his seven angel daughters to take turn carrying his head clockwise around Phra Sumane Mountain. And if Songkran Day ( April 13 ) falls on any day of the following, that year will be honoured by that Nang Songkran.

Songkran Thai Festival

Of all the feasts and festivals in Thailand, which are many, the Songkran Festival is the most striking, for it is widely observed not only in this country but also in Burma, Cambodia and the Lao State.

Songkran is a Sanskrit word in Thai form which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkran in this particular instance is when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is Maha Songkran or Major Songkran to distinguish it from the other ones. But the people call it simply the Songkran for it is the only one they know and in which they take interest. It is their traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full with no economic hindrance. Songkran is a fixable feast on the solar calender. It begins on the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, but occasionally in certain years on the 16th April. The Songkran is in fact the celebration of the vernal equinox similar to those of the Indian Holi Festival, the Chinese Ching Ming, and the Christian Festival of Easter. The beginning of spring when the sun crosses the equator is now on the 21st of March which is due to the precession of the equinox. The Songkran Festival is in a certain sense like April Fool's Day, when the maids of the village play pranks on any gallant who happens to pass by their way. He will be caught and bound by the united strength of the maids and they will daub him with blacking.

Dano Korea

Dano, the 5th day of May in the lunar calendar, reminds us of ancient sacrificial rituals. In days of old, Dano was an important day, on which people would hold sacrificial rituals to the heavens to wish for a good harvest while resting for a while after transplanting the rice

Dano is one of the major traditional holidays in Korea designated by UNESCO as one of the masterpieces of intangible Heritage.

In Korea tradition, women wash their hair in water boiled with changpo(iris) to make one’s hair shiny, while men wear iris roots around their waist to drive off evil spirits. Korean’s also wear blue and red clothes and dye hairpins red with iris roots.

People enjoy traditional foods such as different types of rice cakes “surichitteok”, “ssuktteok”, and other herb rice cake.

The persisting folk games of Dano are the swing and ssireum (씨름). The swing was a game played by women, while ssireum was a wrestling match among men. In addition, mask dance used to be popular among peasants due to its penchant for satirical lyrics flouting local aristocrats.

Thailand Monkey Festival

A town in Thailand named Lopburi celebrates Monkey Festival every year. Lopburi is one of the provinces of the central region and home to several prominent artifacts and prehistoric monuments. One of the significant symbols of LopBuri is the monkeys. You can see groups of monkeys in temple of San Phra Kan, but also in the street, close to shops or from the trees.

A grand feast will be held just specifically for the monkeys on the last Sunday of November annually. Festivities include a monkey ‘tea party’ where macaques tuck into a spread of fresh fruit, eggs, milk, vegetables and sausages all prepared in their honour and of course, bananas. Locals believe that providing food for the monkeys, Lopburi's most famous residents, brings good fortune and prosperity. The feast is also a sort of "thank you" for the interesting animals whose attract thousands of tourists to the town every year.

Picture credit to moolf.com

Monkeys enjoying the foods prepared for them.





If the description of the Monkey Festival does not make clear for you, do take a look at the video below posted by Odomos7 to see how the Monkey Festival looks like, I'm sure you'll be fascinated!

Mid Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the few most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, the others being spring festival and winter solstice. Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as: eating mooncakes, carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns, Fire Dragon Dances, and Moon Rabbit is a trandition icon.

Japan festival - Jidai Matsuri

The Jidai Matsuri is a festival that takes place every year on October 22, the anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto. It consists of a large parade that travels from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. Jidai Matsuri is Japanese for "Festival of Ages", and the participants of the parade are dressed in accurate costumes from almost every period of Japanese history, as well as famous historical figures. There are about 2000 participants and it takes two hours to watch the entire procession pass by.

Japan festival- Nagasaki Kunchi

The Nagasaki Kunchi is the festival of Suwa Shrine, held annually in Nagasaki on October 7-9.
The Nagasaki Kunchi has been celebrated for more than 370 years and incorporates different aspects of Chinese and Dutch cultures, which have played a role in the city's history. The festival's name is believed to come from ku-nichi ("9th day"), the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar.

The festival highlight are dance and show performances by groups representing Nagasaki's various city districts. Each district (odori-cho), participates only once every seven years, so this festival remains fresh to even the regular viewer.
About five to seven groups perform each year, presenting

Japan festival -Omizutori

Omizutori
(Water-Drawing Festival)

This event goes back 1,000 years. Buddhist priests draw up healing waters and run about with huge pine torches.

Date: March 1st-14th
Place: Todai-ji Temple
City: Zoshi-cho, Nara City

Priests at Todai-ji Temple, famous for its enormous statue of Buddha, confess their sins before the Eleven-faced Kannon enshrined in Nigatsu-do Hall, and also pray for world peace and a rich harvest for 14 consecutive days. This ritual, called Shuni-e, has continued since 752.

During this period, an event known as Otaimatsu is really worth seeing. Priests run to and fro along the corridors of Nigatsu-do waving huge pine torches. It is believed that if you are showered with these fire sparks, you will be protected from evil things.

The Omizutori, the highlight of this event, is performed early on the morning of the 13th. Water which only springs forth in front of the temple building on this very day is drawn up and offered to the Buddhist deities. This water is said to have special powers for curing all disease.

This spring water is believed to reach Todai-ji after passing underground for more than 10 days from Obama City, Fukui Prefecture. Even today, the Omizuokuri ceremony is performed on March 2nd at Jingu-ji Temple in Fukui Prefecture to see off the departure of the divine water.

Water that has been drawn up is poured into a pot the following day, and to this pot they add water taken from a different pot which has been continuously replenished for over 1,200 years - the resulting mixture being preserved anew.

Annual Kimchi Festival

This annual event spans several days highlighting Korea's kimchi culture. Visitors can watch several cultural-events (traditional wedding, folk music, clothes), participate in contests (kimchi making, singing), and, of course, see and buy many different types of kimchi and other types of fermented foods

.