For instance, Easter Sunday in Christianity falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. This time of year is known for its many cultural and religious celebrations. Thanks for reading! I hope you liked discovering about this national holiday.The vernal equinox marks the beginning of Spring, representing the moment when the sun passes directly over the equator. Families take it to the graves of their ancestors, often together with a glass of Japanese rice liquor (popularly known as sake). The traditional food for this day is “botamochi”, a rice cake covered with bean powder. The other big moment is during the autumn equinox, but we will explain this further in other occasion. This way they can communicate with them, and help them cross the river. That is why many Japanese families go on these dates to see the graves of their ancestors to clean them, offer them flowers and food and pray for them. In both cases the message is the same: it’s a special moment to honour our loved ones who are no longer here. Other beliefs point to the Sukhavati (the Other World in Buddhism), which is located in the east, and in this day b oth worlds come together and the chance to communicate with the Other World comes true. Shunbun no Hi is exactly the middle day, since this celebration starts 3 days before and ends 3 days after. In Buddhism it’s believed that during the summer equinox, when the hours of light and darkness are equal, Buddha appears and helps lost souls cross the river between this world and the other. In fact this holiday is a part of a seven-day period Buddhist holiday celebration called Haru no Higan ( 春の彼岸 ). If you are in Japan for these dates, you probably will see many Japanese girls wearing the graduation kimono, usually a hakama type that is only used for the University graduation ceremony. In the days leading up to it, the closing ceremony of the semester, or the graduation ceremony for seniors, is held. For students, it’s also the day that marks the beginning of spring break, the longest holiday period in Japan. So in 1948 Shunki Koreisai was changed to the current celebration Shunbun no Hi, a day to celebrate the beautiful of the nature and living creatures. American Government allowed Japan to keep the figure of the Emperor for various reasons, but the imperial family, although it has remained important, lost considerable power in state affairs. During the Shunki Koreisai people worshipped their ancestors, but also prayed respect to the past members of the imperial family. Also, this celebration was linked to the imperial family, who had a great influence in the Meiji era. After the Second World War, in 1948 several reforms were made in Japan to separate religion from state. Shunbun no Hi was originally a Shinto holiday called Shunki Koreisai, when Shinto had a big presence in politics. This day is a national holiday, and taking advantage of the longer and warmer days, many people take this day to go to parks or nearby areas and start the ‘hanami’ session, or simply go to contemplate the first cherry blossoms. Every year around March 20 or 21 is Shunbun no Hi (春分の日) or Vernal Equinox Day, the day that officially marks the beginning of spring. Spring is, without a doubt, the most awaited season of all, because the number one national attraction appears: the cherry blossoms.
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