24 solar terms No. 13 [Beginning of Autumn]
The beginning of autumn.
It has been exactly six months since the beginning of spring, and we are still in the middle of summer, but after the Obon festival, we will begin to feel the slight signs of autumn.
Around that time, seasonal greetings change from "summer greetings" to "late summer greetings."
Risshun, which marks the beginning of autumn, is considered one of the most important turning points among the 24 solar terms.
The beginning of each season, namely the risshun (start of spring), rissha (start of summer), risshu (start of autumn), and risto (start of winter), are collectively called the "shiryu" (four beginnings), while the vernal equinox (spring equinox), summer solstice (summer solstice), and winter solstice (winter solstice), which mark the turning points of the seasons, are collectively called the "nishinbun" (two solstices and two equinoxes) .
●The length of day and night is almost equal on the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes
●The longest daylight hours of the year <Summer solstice>
●The winter solstice, which also has the longest night, is called the "solstice and equinox."
➡The four divisions and the two solstices are combined to form the eight seasons.
For more information on the solstices and equinoxes, please click here.
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A major event that takes place around the beginning of autumn is Obon.
Many festivals held from early August include fireworks, Bon Odori dances, and lantern floating, and are held as a form of memorial service or to welcome or send off the dead.
As mentioned in the entry for the previous solar term, Daisho, the spirits are welcomed and sent off with fireworks and the Bon Odori dance, which has a strong religious significance.
These festivals have been beloved seasonal events in various regions for many years , but with the rise in awareness of environmental issues since the Heisei era began, local governments have been working to create festivals that take the local environment into consideration.
Instead of floating lanterns, they plan "candle nights" and "digital fireworks," and the event continues to attract people by changing its format with the times.
In recent years, as lifestyles change, there have been a variety of suggestions and innovations regarding how to spend Obon at home.
For the welcoming and sending off bonfires, instead of using sawdust, they use candles and bon lanterns that look like sawdust. There are also many sets of items needed for Obon that are available for sale.
In the past, each household would have a lantern with their family crest or surname engraved on it, and just like Buddhist altars, there are now many stylish, compact lanterns that blend in easily with the interior design.
As the ways of welcoming and sending off Obon change, this year our family is thinking of sending off the festivities with sparklers.
Fireworks are used to commemorate the dead and ward off disease, and fireworks displays are also held as welcoming and sending off bonfires.
Among them, sparklers are said to "represent life" and tell the story of Japan's traditional beauty, "wabi-sabi. "
What expression describes the life of a "sparkler"?
There are four stages in how a sparkler burns:
Each one is named after a plant.
A story has a beginning, development, twist and conclusion, and the same is true in life.
It starts with a bud and changes into a peony, pine needles, willow, and chrysanthemum .
1. [Ki] Peony/ bud (the beginning of life)
From the stage of a bud that produces a fireball, it gradually becomes a hot vital force.
The embers swell like a peony opening wide.
Then, the sparks gradually grow bigger and more spectacular.
2. [Development] Matsuba (when powerful and vigorous)
The way the sparks gradually grow larger represents the growth from childhood to adolescence.
You can see this as someone who is unsure at first, but who is sure to grow. A true example of dynamism and leaps.
The most exciting scenes are said to represent marriage and childbirth in life.
Like pine needles, they crackle and crackle with great force, sending out sparks that shine brightly and powerfully.
3. [Turn] Willow (stable)
The fireworks, which were scattering sparks horizontally and vertically, are gradually stabilizing.
The sparks from the sparkler become rounded like a willow branch, and the direction of the sparks flows along with gravity as they scatter. If we compare it to a period in life, it is said to represent a period of calm after raising children or working.
It is likened to time passing slowly and a willow tree swaying in the wind, abandoning itself to the wind.
4. [Yui] Falling Chrysanthemums
The way the sparks gradually get smaller and smaller until they scatter is likened to a chrysanthemum, with its thin petals falling one by one.
He will spend the rest of his life quietly in his later years.
And then the aftertaste. At the end of the sparkler, the sparks go out and only the fireball remains. The moment the fireball loses its light, changing from red to yellow, the sparkler's life comes to an end.
The sparks flashing like a slideshow of life,
I feel like I can spend a different time with fond memories.
"Lighting a fire" has had a sacred meaning since ancient times all over the world.
I feel like it always starts with a small flame , or a flicker of light.
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The time of the beginning of autumn is expressed in the 72 seasonal divisions as follows:
First sign: Cool breezes arrive
When the hot winds of summer begin to change into the cool winds of autumn
The hot winds of summer are starting to change into the cool winds of autumn. While the sunlight is still dazzling during the day, the cool breezes in the mornings and evenings let us know that the seasons are starting to change.
Next sign: "Cicadas chirp"
This is when the cicadas start to sing. When dusk comes, you can hear the cicadas singing and feel the end of summer. (By the way, the term "kanzenmei" is unique to Japan, while the Chinese term is "hakurofuru".)
Last sign: "Fukakikirimatou"
The mornings and evenings are gradually getting cooler, and the cool air makes you feel the change of seasons.
Although the heat of summer still lingers at the beginning of autumn, you can sense small signs of autumn lurking in the lingering heat, such as the cirrus clouds gradually rising in the sky and the chirping of crickets and cicadas at night.
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The hot weather continues, and coupled with the Obon holiday, it's the time of year when many people start to feel fatigued from the summer heat. Although there are no set foods for the beginning of autumn like there is for the winter solstice, there are plenty of seasonal foods, and they are full of nutrients that will help alleviate summer fatigue, such as vitamins and energy that you want to take in your body at this time of year.
Many people have a long holiday during Obon, and families often get together.
Festivals and fireworks in the backyard. The gentle breeze and the cool sound of wind chimes. You may also be caught in a sudden evening shower.
Come enjoy Japan's summer scenery to the fullest!