The History Behind Japan's Girls' Day Traditions

With the arrival of March, we can begin to 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 has already arrived! Today is not just March 3rd, it is also Girls’ 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, warding off bad spirits and keeping a watchful eye on their owner throughout her childhood, adolescence, courtship, and even marriage. 

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. 

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How Did the Chinese Zodiac Animal Signs Originate?

As the Chinese New Year approaches, we are reminded of the importance of the Chinese Zodiac animals and how each year is represented by a different animal sign. It is no secret that there is a long standing relationship between the Chinese culture and these 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac- but when did this relationship first develop? And what was its purpose? 

The Chinese Zodiac, also referred to as Sheng Xiao, was originally created as a counting system for counting the years according to the Chinese Lunar calendar. The ancient Chinese observed that there were 12 full moons per year, developing a link between time and astronomy- what many of us now may think of as astrology. 

It was during the Han Dynasty where the order and characteristics of the 12 animals became considered a direct influence on the lives of people. It became believed, and still is today, that depending on the year of your birth you became associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals and this knowledge could yield predictions on everything from your personality and habits to what kind of year lies ahead of you. 

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The year of your birth, or your animal year, is known as your Benming Nian. Based on the Chinese New Year, your animal year only comes about every 12 years- making it a very special year for you! 

So if it is your animal year, how can you ensure that the fortune it brings about is good and not bad? The Chinese say the best way to ensure good fortune during the arrival of your animal year is to wear red on the New Year as well as a necklace purchase by someone else- it doesn't count if you buy it for yourself! 

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How the Chinese Celebrate the Moon During their Second Largest Festival: the Mid-Autumn Festival

This weekend people all over China were celebrating one of China’s biggest festivals, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Only second to the Spring Festival in size and grandeur, the annual Mid-Autumn Festival spans over several days and attracts thousands of participants. Several of the elements of the holiday that creates this enormous attraction, other than the numerous legends associated with it, are the rich history and deep traditions behind it. For centuries the Chinese people have celebrated the fall season and the cycles of the moon, making it all the more special. So this weekend how have the Chinese been celebrating their beloved Mid-Autumn Festival? 

Beginning during the Zhou Dynasty (which lasted from 1046- 256 BC) sacrificial offerings to the moon were a major part of the holiday tradition. The people recognized that the moon cycles played a role in the changing of seasons and thus, affected their autumn harvests. They felt in order to continue having good fall harvests it was necessary to thank the moon for its part. Fast forward to today and sacrificial offerings are a less widespread part of the celebration, only being continued in certain rural areas. 

However, in modern times people still use this time of year to express appreciation of the moon and all it does for us. Family members sit around a table while talking about the wonderful things the moon does for us and why they appreciate its presence. Although it is a more relaxing and less serious custom, its roots are derived from the ancient sacrificial ceremonies of the Zhou Dynasty. 

The offering and consumption of certain foods also has its place in the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend. The food most well known and associated with the holiday is the moon cake. The origins of the moon cake can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty when messages were passed between army leaders using notes baked into moon cakes. One of the leaders began giving the cakes to his subordinates as gifts around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since then it became a ritual for families to give each other moon cakes during the festival to signify reunion and the beginning of fall. 

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Other foods including watermelons cut into the shape of lotus flowers, grapefruits, soybeans, oranges, and wine are commonly consumed during this special time. 

In addition to appreciating the moon and eating moon cakes, the Mid-Autumn Festival features many other fun traditions and customs. Some of these include burning of incense, traditional Fire Dragon dances, releasing of festival lanterns, stealing vegetables in hopes of finding “Mr. Right”, and many many more. Certain customs differ depending on what region you are in but there is no doubt that they are all equally interesting and exciting. 

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Author Eileen Wacker Incorporates the Japanese Legend of the Kappa into her Recent Children's Book

One of the characters OnceKids’ author, Eileen Wacker, features in her most recent addition to the Fujimini Island Adventure Series, “Blue Penguin and the Sensation Surf”, is the Kappa. The Asian inspired Children’s series features many themes and terms from Korean, Chinese, and Japanese culture, so not all of the terms may be familiar to you. One of which is probably the Kappa, at least it was for me. 

The Kappa, which translates to “river-child”, is found within Japanese mythology and folklore. Also referred to as Kawataro or Kawako, the Kappa represents a mythical creature depicted as water-dwelling, about the size of a child with scaly, reptilian skin ranging from green to yellow in color. Their appearance ranges greatly from region to region but certain consistencies can be found, such as a carapace, a beak, and a flat hairless region on the top of their head filled with water. The water-filled plate on the top of their head is claimed to be their source of power. If the region dries or loses some of it’s water, the Kappa will be weakened and lose it’s power. Although mischievous, Kappas are notoriously polite, so according to legend, you can trick him into bowing low enough to spill his water. 

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Kappas are generally regarded as troublemakers who like to do pranks on people. The Kappas pranks can range from innocent to malevolent depending on the type. Historically parents warn their children about the Kappa who will pull naughty children under the water. It was not uncommon for people to throw cucumbers into river waters to please the Kappas, who love to eat cucumbers almost as much as children, and avoid any trouble.

But not all Kappa are viewed as bad or trouble, some quite the opposite. Many are said to be curious about human civilization and are able to speak Japanese. If one was able to befriend a Kappa, they allegedly would help farmers irrigate land and bring gifts of fish. They are traditionally said to be intelligent creatures highly knowledgable in medicine, and were even responsible for teaching bone setting to humans. 

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Rice To Feed the World

 Grown for thousands of years, rice has been a food held dear to countless cultures throughout history. Used for everything from comfort food to a religious offering, rice's significance isn't diminishing anytime soon- in fact it is steadily increasing. Accounting for 90% of the world's population and consumption of rice, Asia takes the prize for the biggest rice producer in the world. 

Rice plays an important role in Hindu and Buddhist religious services, two of the major religions of Asia. There is even a Chinese proverb that says that 'precious things are not pearls and jade but the five grains, of which rice is the finest.' There are Chinese myths that say that when the people were starving after a flood, long yellow seeds grew into rice and saved the hungry villagers. 

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So even though, rice being an important part of many cultures and customs is nothing new, it has been said that the plan is to raise the production of rice by 70% in the next few decades after research has shown how rice is a cheap way to provide nutrition for those who need it most. Demands for rice are continuing to grow as people have figured out that if given to poorer urban families, rice can provide up to half of their necessary calories each day. 

The origin of rice or the people who first discovered is unclear, but what is certain is that rice has fed more people for more years than any other crop in history. 

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Chinese New Year: The History (Part Two of Five)

One of the most important, culturally significant holidays in China is rapidly approaching. On February 10th Chinese people across the country will begin to celebrate the Lunar New Year. 

In addition to being one of the most significant, the fifteen day event stands as the longest holiday in China-but where did it all begin?

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We were surprised to find out the event of the year that is so celebrated and looked forward to originally began out of fear! Legends of the origins of the Chinese New Year tell a story of a mythical lion-like monster named Nian (which is also the Chinese word for year!), who preyed on the people of the villages. 

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The terrified villagers sought the advice of a wise old man who told them that in order to rid of this monster they needed to use firecrackers and drums to make loud noises, scaring Nian away. The wise old man also claimed that Nian feared the color red, so the villagers could ward him off by hanging red paper cut outs and scrolls on their doors. The villagers took the advice and soon enough they were free from Nian's terror. This freedom is recognized as the "passing of the Nian", referred to in Chinese as guo inane. 

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is also closely tied to the spring season. It is a time for celebrating the end of the winter season and welcoming spring.