Obon-Japanese Cultural Holiday

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or the Solar is followed. Different localities within Japan itself observe Obon-Festival of the Dead at various times. The three days of Obon are not public holidays but as per customary people are given leave from work.

Alters are created on the 1st day in homes to honor the relatives “A meal is placed on the alter to feed the spirits (Jones, 2000.p101) In the evening the Japanese light lanterns in the home or they leave them at the gravesite to help the ansecestoral spirits find their way and to welcome their arrivals. Families also have small fires in front of their homes and talk to the spirits as if they we still alive. “Traditional Buddhist dances, called bon-odori are performed on the last day of the celebration. (Moehn, 2000. P. 70). The festival also concludes with the floating of lanterns. Paper lanterns lit and floated down river signaling the ancestors return to the world of the dead.

Obon is an important cultural celebration n the Japanese culture. There are ...

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