Countries in Asia Know How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Too

It might not be the first places you think of- but countries in Asia have some pretty incredible St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Although, there is not a high Irish population throughout Asia, on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish right? The holiday isn’t big everywhere in Asia but there are a few places that really get into the spirit of things and would be a great place to spend the holiday if you’re ever around the area in March!

Seoul, South Korea

It is a fairly recent addition to the list of Korean festivals, but since 2001 the Irish Association of Korea has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with an annual parade that hosts up to 15,000 attendees. It is complete with everything you would expect for a St. Patty’s Day bagpipes, Irish dancing, Celtic music, lots of green, and of course lots of beer! The Koreans love any excuse for a good party!

Tokyo, Japan

This may come as a surprise to you, but the Japanese have celebrated and embraced Irish culture for quite some time, and this includes- of course- St. Patrick’s Day. Each year, Tokyo hosts an amazing parade bringing 30,000 people to the streets to celebrate and several thousand parade participants. And like in Seoul, lots of green, music, food, and alcohol can be expected!

Singapore

Due to it’s strong associations with the British Isles, Singapore also has a connection to Irish heritage and with it, St. Patrick’s Day. In addition to a spectacular parade, Singapore also hosts an annual St. Patrick’s Day Ball. The celebrations stretch over a three day period. First begins the ball on the eve before the big day. Then on the 17th, the streets fill with

green for the parade. And the fun continues on the 18th with street parties outside of local Irish pubs and Irish Festivals.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In previous years, Kuala Lumpur has had parties and festivals that have reached over 8,000 attendees. But Malaysia is making our list because of their public determination to host Asia’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, even making an online pledge to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. And they take it one step further, wanting to make not just the 17th the day of celebrations- but all of March!

Lupita Nyong’o Blows Us Away with Her Powerful Words about Beauty and Being a Woman

Just days before her amazing win at the Oscars for her performance in “12 Years a Slave”, she accepted another award for the “Best Breakthrough Performance” at the annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon.

Her double dose of wins would have been impressive no matter who it was but did we mention this was her first movie? So we can already admire her for her talent but after the speech she delivered at the Luncheon I admire a whole lot more about her than just her acting skills. The speech was moving, inspirational, and a little heartbreaking all at the same time- and something every little girl needs to hear. In the United States, March is Women’s Month and Lupita Nyong’o is an example of a woman who definitely deserves to be celebrated. She is an excellent role model for young girls everywhere and her touching words reveal the beauty, power, and strength that all women are capable of. 

Watch Lupita Nyong’o's Incredible Speech here:

Japan Puts Their Own Twist on Valentine's Day with White Day

For us the holiday dedicated to love has been long forgotten till next year, but in Japan that was only one of two days reserved for romance!

Nearly one month ago people around the world celebrated Valentine's Day. It is common knowledge that this is a day for men to rush out for those red roses, box of chocolates, and dinner reservations- but Japan does Valentine's day a little differently. 

In Japan, it is custom for the women to express their love or friendship to men by presenting them with chocolates and chocolate gifts. When the chocolates are handmade it is meant to represent more sincerity, emotion, and effort on the woman's part. The favor is then returned to the women a month later with a holiday known as White Day.

On March 14th, it is custom in Japan for men to shower the woman in their life with gifts. Traditional White Day gifts include cookies, white chocolate, white lingerie, jewelry, and marshmallows. A general principle of the holiday is that the men who received a honmei-choco, or the chocolate of love, on Valentine's day are expected to pay two to three times the price when choosing their White day gift! The term sanbai gaeshi, literally translating to triple the return, is often used to describe this rule. 

Other countries in Asia also acknowledge White day but put a slightly different spin on it than China. For example, in China Valentine's day is where the men give women presents and White day is the day for women to return the favor. In Korea it is popular for children to exchange candies and chocolates with their classmates on both holidays. 

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake Crack Us Up with their “History of Rap” Performance

Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ videos are blowing up YouTube left and right, and his recent video with Justin Timberlake, “The History of Rap”, is no exception. Posted only a week ago, the video has already received over 6 million views- and counting. After watching the video I can understand why! The two are hilarious together as they spontaneously break into a coordinated dance and rap featuring songs from Notorious B.I.G’s ‘Big Poppa’ to the theme song of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And did I mention how perfect Justin Timberlake is? The guy can act, sing, dance, AND he's hilarious? Where’s my engagement ring…?

Click below to view “History of Rap” and see what all the buzz is about:

How Japan Celebrates Girls' Day

Excitement is growing throughout Japan in anticipation of one of the nation’s biggest holiday traditions, Girls’ Day. The millennia old celebration, also referred to as Hinamatsuri or the Doll Festival, takes place every year on March 3rd. With all the history and tradition behind this special day comes just as many customs and celebrations. 

One of the oldest, and most important, customs that comes each year with the arrival of March 3rd is the displaying of dolls, a practice that began during the Heian period. The dolls can start to be seen being displayed throughout Japanese homes around mid-February and remain that way until the day of the festival has arrived. It is then customary for many people to participate in an ancient Japanese custom called hina-nagashi, one of the original practices of Girls’ Day. During hina-nagashi people place straw dolls into a boat and cast the boat out to sea, believing the dolls carry the bad spirits away with them. 

The more exquisite dolls do not get put in the boats- sometimes these dolls are passed down through generations- instead they get taken down and put away after the celebrations have come to an end. Although they are put on display in February, it is important that the dolls are taken down no later than March 4th, or it is believed the daughter of the family will get married late. 

And what kind of Asian holiday would be complete without food and drinks? On Girls’ Day customary food makes its way into the celebrations. Traditional foods consumed on this day include hina-arare, crackers flavored with either soy sauce or sugar (which one depends on the region) as well as colored rice cakes, or hishimochi. Chirashizushi, sushi rice flavored with sugar and vinegar then topped with raw fish among other various ingredients, is also a holiday favorite. And for girls seeking a united and peaceful relationship, it is suggested that they consume ushiojiru, a soup, that contains clams still in their shells because a pair of clam shells can fit perfectly together- but only with the original pair. 

In addition to traditional foods, Girls’ Day also brings to the table a customary beverage, shirozake, a Japanese sake made from fermented rice. 

Girls' Day is one of the best ways to get a peek into ancient Japanese culture and tradition passed down through generations of families, so if you ever plan on visiting Japan- be sure to add this holiday to your Japanese experience! 

To learn more about the cultural and diversity taught at Fujimini Island, please click here.

The History Behind One of Japan's Oldest Holiday Traditions: Girl's Day

With the ending of February and the coming of March, we can look forward to a transition from the long and cold winter into the beginning of the spring months. The coming of spring not only means welcoming warmer weather, but also a season full of fun and traditional festivals and holidays throughout Asia. One of the first spring holidays in Japan is just around the corner! On March 3rd, people around Japan will be celebrating the festival known as Girl’s Day. 

Also referred to as the Doll Festival or Hinamatsuri, Girl’s Day is one of the oldest known holiday traditions in Japan. The annual celebration first began during the Heian Period, which dates all the way back to 794! The people of the ancient villages began first by displaying the beautifully crafted dolls in their homes, believing that they possessed the capacity to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune. It then became customary to engage in a custom known as hina-nagashi. This practice called for people to place the dolls into boats and push the boats out to sea, with the belief that the dolls would carry the bad spirits away with them. 

The Doll Festival has also become referred to as Girl’s Day because during the Heian Period, and still today, it was popular for many of the little girls to play with dolls. The dolls were so loved that they even became seen as the protectors or caretakers of the girls, even marriage. 

warding off bad spirits and keeping a watchful eye on their owner throughout her childhood, adolescence, courtship, and

Each year as the hand-crafted dolls are displayed, it reminds the people of Japan of an almost millennia-old custom. If you are looking to get a taste of the rich culture and history of Japan, there is no better time than during this beautiful display of Japanese history. 

To learn more about the cultural and diversity taught at Fujimini Island, please click here.

South Korea Shows Support for Kim Yu-na After Olympic Figure Skating Defeat

South Korea has always been known for their intense nationalism, and their sporting events are no exception. Which is why it was no surprise that Koreans reacted to their beloved figure skater, Kim Yu-na’s, loss to a Russian teenager in Sochi with anger and disappointment. 

People reacted to this defeat with anger saying Russia had cheated South Korea out of the gold medal because of their small size. A well-known author claimed he will remember the 2014 Winter Olympics as the “Suchi” Olympics, the Korean word for humiliation. A petition was even signed by 1.9 million people, mostly South Koreans, requesting that an investigation be done by the International Skating Union to look into the calls made by the judges. 

So why was South Korea so up in arms over this particular defeat? It has been proposed that there was so much emotion behind the loss because Kim Yu-na was so admired by the people and seen as a “perfect heroine” for her nation. Her story of coming from humble beginnings, beginning her skating career at 6-year-old on an old rink, to rise up and become an Olympic athlete, represents everything that postwar South Korea feels they stand for. In addition to that, Ms. Kim was the recipient of the Olympic gold medal in figure skating in 2010, a victory Koreans felt deserved to be repeated this year. Beginning after the Korean War, South Korea used nationalism as a method to restore pride and unity within the country during the times of severe economic hardship, and sports became seen as a pathway towards achieving that sense of national pride. This has led to a deep connection self-worth for many Koreans. 

between international sports achievements and

But despite the blow, the initial uproar has seemingly subsided and people have stepped out to show their support for Kim Yu-na. The figure skater herself has remained classy and put-together through the whole thing, refraining from any public criticisms about her defeat or about her opponent. She has only spoken up to assure everyone she is pleased with her silver medal and relieved about some of the weight of national pressure being taken off her shoulders, commenting, “I am happy that it’s over. Happy that I did well.” 

Good for Ms. Kim! 

To learn more about the cultural and diversity taught at Fujimini Island, please click here.