This weekend begins the celebration of four Japanese national holidays within a seven-day period. Many companies give employees the week off and this is a popular time for Japanese people to travel. Brian tells me even hospitals shut down for the week.
The holidays celebrated include:
- April 29 Showa Day (Showa no hi): April 29 is the birthday of former Emperor Showa, who died in the year 1989. Until 2006, Greenery Day (see May 4) used to be celebrated on this day.
- May 3 Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi): On this day in 1947, the new post war constitution was put into effect.
- May 4 Greenery Day (Midori no hi): Until 2006, Greenery Day used to be celebrated on April 29, the birthday of former Emperor Showa.The day is dedicated to the environment and nature, because the emperor loved plants and nature. Before being declared Greenery Day, May 4 used to be a national holiday due to a law, which declares a day, that falls between two national holidays, a national holiday.
- May 5 Children's Day (Kodomo no hi): The Boy's Festival (Tango
no Sekku) is celebrated on this day. Families pray for the health and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life. (The Girl's Festival, you may recall, is celebrated on March 3.) From our neighbors' display, I'm gathering that the number of carp streamers flying (10) does not correspond to the number of boys in the household.
1 comment:
Thanks for the info. I live here
and didn't know all the celebrations for Golden week.
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