Kodomo no Hi

 May 5th was Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day, pronounced "koe-doe-moe no hee"), which is the official name for what really is Boys' Day. Also known as Tango no Sekku and celebrated throughout East Asia, it is an ancient celebration that involves, not surprisingly, decorations and tasty treats. Kodomo no Hi is a national holiday (in contrast with the March 3rd Girls' Day for which there is no day off- make of that what you will) that falls during Golden Week, the string of holidays in late April and Early May.

In the weeks before Kodomo no Hi you'll see koinobori (carp streamers) popping up in farm fields, in front of houses and on apartment balconies. These beautiful wind-catchers were originally flown in battlefields, as carp symbolize strength and courage, and as those were desirable traits for sons to possess they became associated with Tango no Sekku. The basic pattern is a colourful windsock on top, then a large black or dark blue carp representing the father, a smaller red or pink carp representing the mother, and a smaller blue or green carp representing the chonan (first-born son). Any further sons are represented by progressively smaller smaller blue, green and purple carp.

The best koinobori are lovingly hand-painted, metres long, and will put you back hundreds of dollars, but you can also just get a cheap set at the 100 Yen Shop, like I did. Obviously this was the first year I've bought and displayed koinobori, and I would have loved to get a really nice set, but it's not quite in the budget.

Actually what I'd really like to do is send a huge set of koinobori to my family in Canada, as it would surely delight both my father and brother. My dad loves windsocks, flags, wind-catchers, and any kind of doodad that can be hung in our backyard to flap in the wind or sparkle in the sun. Which annoys the hell out of my brother, who in recent years has taken over much of the gardening and outdoor work and also spends a great deal of time in the backyard drinking beer and grilling things. He can't stand any kind of decoration or unnatural presence in the backyard (other than his extensive collection of barbeque equipment, of course) and is constantly taking down my dad's decorations. But if I were to send some really handsome koinobori my dad would be able to indulge his love of colourful outdoor ornaments, and my brother would also be pleased because koinobori are only meant to be hung up for a limited time: week or so after Kodomo no Hi and the carp come down. So I'm saving up for next year.

Here is the little Kodomo no Hi display in our living room, on the shelf above the TV (the most auspicious location in a Japanese home). On the wall is a plaque, below it are two decorations we made at our playgroup (koinobori and a pink kabuto, or helmet), and below that is a collection of snacks sent by my mother-in-law.

Here is a better look at the snacks. Inside the blue koinobori is a pack of arare (rice cracker balls, pronounced "ah-rah-ray"), and inside one pack of snacks are little koinobori-shaped crackers.

An even closer look. On the left is ramune flavoured candy in various wrappings, top right is the arare, and in the middle is what's inside the mini koinobori: a long senbei (rice cracker) and a round senbei with a roasted soybean inside. All yummy and sure to delight any boy, but this year they're for adults only.

Here is a closer look at the plaque. It was made by my mother-in-law, whose hobby is enamel work. Isn't it beautiful? It shows a kabuto, which is the helmet that was worn with Japanese armour. Nowadays kabuto are associated with Boys' Day as they symbolize parents' hope that their boys will grow up to be murderous and bloodthirsty warriors. Or maybe these days it's more about strength, health, courage, etc, but I'm not crazy about the association with war so am a bit relieved that we can't afford to display kabuto.

Kabuto for Boys' Day are child-sized (although not really meant to be worn) and normally displayed together with their storage box, a gold screen, and often such extras as miniature arrows, swords, and even full child-sized suits of armour. Here are some examples. A good set costs thousands of dollars and I have to admit are very cool looking, but it's just not the kind of thing I want my boy celebrating. So I was really happy to receive the enamel plaque above- it is pretty, lovingly made, doesn't take up half the living room to display, and really shows the kabuto as a symbol and nothing more. I also think my mother-in-law is really talented and am glad to have a piece of her art.

There are a few kinds of wagashi (Japanese sweets) that are eaten on Kodomo no Hi, but I was unable to find them (maybe I shopped too late and they were sold out?) so this year I got some treats for us grown-ups at a local cake shop. Strawberry cake for Hideaki, mango mousse for me, and also a little "charity cookie" (lots of shops are doing this: you get a yummy cookie if you give a small donation to the earthquake victims). Next year, when Shuma is old enough for sweets, I will make sure to buy the proper chimaki.

Happy Boys' Day!

Comments

[A]

Are they difficult to make? It looks like it would be fun to paint one.. P.S. Your son is an absolute darling!

[illahee]

he is such a cutie!! *pretends to squish cheeks*

we inherited my husband's boy's day display. it is pretty much a full display (helmet, not full armor, though) which we haven't set up for a few years because of all the small children. i think i'll aim for next year, though, because it's not popular anymore and it's difficult to find.

here is a pic from when we set it up when hiro was a baby:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/illahee/49800043/in/set-517255#/photos/illahee/49800043/

(that's my BIL holding hiro. and at closer look, that's not the full set. there are some kind of torches that are electric, and i didn't feel like dealing with them!)

[David]

I never guessed that it was a national holiday. I thought it just got lumped in with the rest of Golden Week. I never spent hinamatsuri in Japan, but I remember my nephew was really excited about flying kites - more than I ever was at that age.

[Thisdaylastyear]

Shumaaaaaaaa!!! He is so cute! I'm sure you've heard that a million times! When ever I see his name I think 'shumai', maybe that could be a nickname! What a cute little dumpling :3

[roxane]

so cute!!!

[Hatsuho]

cute!!!! Those are great Kodomo no hi ideas. I'll have to remember them for next year. Thanks!