-section mode height_mode height_pc height_sp aspect_ratio aspect_ratio_sp loop autoplay delay effect speed navigation navigation_color navigation_position spaceBetween pagination pagination_color pagination_color_nonactive slider_class view_mode -block slide_image_pc slide_image_sp video_file slide_link overlay overlay_color overlay_opacity text_position_vertical text_position_horizontal text_align text_color title title_font title_size title_size_sp title_margin_bottom caption caption_font caption_size_sp button button_color button_link liquid single_slide_class

What is Tango no Sekku?


Among all the seasonal festivals, the Boys' Festival is a day of celebration especially for boys.

　

It's the season of fresh greenery and a refreshing breeze.
On Boys' Festival, people decorate their homes with carp streamers and May dolls, and give gifts with the hope that newborn children will "find happiness in life" and "protect themselves from misfortune," and that they will grow up safely, strong, and live a life of peace.

It is also an important day to spend time together as a family, enjoying customs such as eating celebratory food and kashiwamochi (Japanese rice cakes).
The Tango Festival has been passed down in Japanese households throughout the ages, and has become a part of the festival culture that continues to this day.

  • 1. "Sekku" - Seasonal turning points

    Seasonal festivals were originally events held to mark the change of seasons.
    These joints were said to be weak points through which evil spirits or demons could enter, and they were believed to bring bad luck, illness, and misfortune.

    In ancient Japan, it was believed that it was important to get rid of the forces of nature and evil spirits (bad energy) as the seasons changed, to protect one's health, and to put one's life in order. Seasonal festivals were established for this purpose, and are meant to ward off evil spirits, to prepare for harsh seasonal changes, and to ensure the health of the whole family.

    In fact, many people become unwell at the change of seasons, and in the past, babies often died shortly after birth, so the first festival after a baby's birth was called the "Hatsusekku" (first festival of the year), and was not only celebrated to ward off bad luck and evil spirits, but also to bless the baby's will to live and pray for healthy growth and the prosperity of the family.

  • 2. What is the first seasonal festival?


    Being born safely and celebrating his first festival, "Hatsu-sekku," held great significance.

    In times before medical science was developed, it was extremely difficult for children to grow up healthy. Because children often died early from epidemics, malnutrition, external environmental factors, and lack of medical care, it was considered a miracle that they could grow up healthy.
    Even in the Edo period, the child mortality rate was high in rural areas, and there were many cases where both mothers and children lost their lives. For this reason, holding ceremonies such as the Hatsusekku was not just a traditional event, but was considered an important ceremony to bless the will to live and pray for future health. Celebrating the Hatsusekku safely had a strong meaning of celebrating the miracle of life.
    In addition, the First Festival was not just a celebration, but also had a sacred ritual aspect, as the saying goes, "Until the age of seven, a child is a child of the gods." When a child was born, it was believed that the child's life would be blessed with the blessings of the gods. By celebrating the First Festival, people prayed that the child would grow up healthy as a "child of the gods."
    These ideas had ritualistic meanings, as they thanked the gods for protecting the children and prayed for their future health and longevity.

    In modern times, the survival rate of children has improved dramatically due to advances in medical care and improved living standards. Therefore, the First Festival is now often held mainly as a fun event to celebrate children's growth, but in the past, it was a time when deep wishes for children to live long lives and protect their lives.

    In particular, from ancient times to the Middle Ages, it was extremely difficult for a child to grow up safely until adulthood, so it was considered important to ask for the gods' protection, and therefore rituals such as the Hatsu-Sekku festival played an important role.

    In addition to seasonal festivals, there are many celebratory events in the year after birth. These events are held not only to pray for the healthy growth of the new life, but also since ancient times have been cherished as important events for accepting the baby as a new family member and deepening family ties through traditional rituals and customs.

  • 3. Boys' Festival

    "Tango no Sekku" is one of the five seasonal festivals.
    Brought from ancient China, it developed into a unique form while incorporating Japanese culture, eventually becoming the seasonal festival that continues to this day.

    As mentioned above, it originally had its origins as an event to celebrate the change of seasons, and gradually became established as a day to pray for the health and growth of boys.

    　


    1. The Origin of Tango no Sekku

    In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is an event held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month , during which people participate in dragon boat rowing competitions to drive away evil spirits, and the custom of using medicinal herbs to drive away illness and evil spirits. This day is an event to pray for the beginning of summer and the end of epidemics , and it also has the meaning of driving away demons .

    In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is said to have begun in the pre-Christian era.

    2. Transmission to Japan

    It is said that the Boys' Festival was introduced to Japan in the 6th century (around 550 during the Kofun period). This was a time when Buddhism and culture from China were being influenced . In Japan, it was originally celebrated as a festival marking the change of seasons , but gradually it came to be seen as a special day to pray for the growth and health of boys.


    "Tango" means "the horse day" at the beginning of the month, but because "go" and "five" are pronounced the same, May 5th became the Boys' Festival, and since the Nara period, May 5th has been established as the Boys' Festival.

    The first record of the Tango Festival in Japan dates back to the Heian period .
    During this time, the Boys' Festival became a court event and was celebrated with great pomp among the nobility. The Boys' Festival was originally intended to ward off evil spirits , similar to the Chinese Boys' Festival , and ceremonies were held to drive away the five poisons (poisonous creatures and diseases). Prayers using medicinal herbs and bathing in water were performed, which gradually led to the Japanese custom of taking iris baths and the custom of warding off evil spirits .


    In the Edo period , as the center of power shifted from the aristocracy to the samurai, the Tango Festival came to be celebrated with vigor among the samurai as the "Shobu" festival, since the pronunciation of the word "shobu" (iris) is the same as "shobu" (meaning "valuing martial arts").
    In the Shogunate at that time, there was a custom of celebrating the birth of a boy with a "Umajirushi" (horse brand) and a "Nobori (flag)". This custom was passed down to the samurai and common people, and evolved into the custom of displaying "Koinobori (carp streamers)", "May dolls" and "Kabuto (helmets)".
    It became an important event to pray for the healthy growth of a boy born as the successor to the family and for the prosperity of the clan, and it has remained a day to celebrate the birth and growth of boys to this day.

  • 4. The origin and meaning of displaying May dolls

    　

    ◆ Displaying May dolls

    They are often displayed as warrior dolls , and their designs tend to feature warriors, samurai, and historical heroes.
    Basically, armor and helmets are symbols of martial arts and fighting , and are meant to convey hope that the boy will be strong and brave in the face of adversity in the future.
    However, on the other hand, helmets and armor were important pieces of equipment for military commanders to protect themselves.
    The reason why May dolls are decorated with helmets and armor is not only to express the wish that the child will live a strong life, but also to express the wish that the child will be protected.


    Today's May is a refreshing early summer month, but the lunar May corresponds to the current June. In other words, the rainy season begins in the middle of the lunar May. "Tango" refers to the first day of the horse month in the lunar May.

    During the Kamakura period, it was the samurai custom to take out their armor and helmets from the storehouse and display them in their homes during the Boys' Day season, with the rainy season just around the corner, to let the armor air out, air it out, and take care of it.
    In samurai households , weapons and armor were extremely important, and it was believed that properly caring for them was directly linked to the stability and prosperity of the family.
    Displaying military equipment in front of the family on Boys' Day came to signify prayers for good health and preparation for the battles that came to be in the year .

    It is believed that the act of drying out the armor coincided with the Boys' Festival, and so May dolls came to be displayed as a symbol of the strength and courage of the armor . Gradually it spread among the common people , and in the present day it has become established as an event to celebrate the growth of boys in the form of "May dolls."

  • 5. The origin and meaning of displaying carp streamers

    　

    Originally in Japan, there was a custom of celebrating the birth of a boy to the Shogun by raising flags (flags with the family crest) and banners. Eventually, this spread to samurai families, who began to raise banners as a sign that a boy had been born, and it became customary to display armor and helmets on the Boys' Festival, as well as to air out the infants.

    Wealthy merchants in Edo imitated the samurai and began to display replicas of military equipment, and when this spread among townspeople, the idea of ​​using carp, a symbol of social advancement, as banners was born, and this became the carp streamer.

    (※What does "succeeding in life" mean?
    It originates from the famous Chinese legend of "Dragon Gate" and in Japan, "Carp Climbing the Waterfall."
    (In the upper reaches of the Yellow River in China, there is a waterfall with a series of rapids called Ryumon, and it is said that any fish that makes it to the top will become imbued with spiritual power and turn into a dragon. The only freshwater fish with the strength to climb the waterfall is the carp, and one day, a carp managed to climb Ryumon against the raging water of the waterfall, and transformed into a dragon and ascended to the heavens. In China, the dragon is also a symbol of the emperor, and is considered very auspicious.)

    Carp are hardy fish that can live in places other than clear streams such as swamps and ponds.

    In the flow of life,
    I hope you will overcome difficult obstacles like a carp.
    I want them to grow into strong people who can persevere even in the face of adversity.


    This wish was also expressed in the name.
    (As the saying goes, carp streamers do indeed fly powerfully against the wind, so in recent years they are often used as a symbol of recovery.)

    As times continue to change, I feel that the original meaning of this phrase has become even stronger in recent years. Even in times of change, the feelings of parents remain the same.

  • 6. Tango no Sekku and Children's Day


    In 1948, May 5th was designated as "Children's Day," and it became a national holiday to wish happiness for children, regardless of gender, and to express gratitude to mothers.

    As for the origin, after the Second World War, the Allied Powers, led by the United States, and GHQ reformed Japan's politics and society. In order to promote the democratization of Japan, GHQ implemented various policies, including wiping out the prewar militaristic coloration and establishing the ideals of pacifism and democracy.

    As part of this, a proposal was made to change the traditional event known as "Tango no Sekku" (Tango Festival), which was then renamed "Children's Day."

    Even today, more than half a century after the end of the war and on Children's Day, we still celebrate Tango no Sekku, which gives us a sense of the foundation of Japanese culture.

    Although the origins of "Tango no Sekku" and "Children's Day" are different, they are both days of celebration to pray for future growth and happiness while enjoying old wishes and traditions.

  • 7. Until what age should you display it?

    There are no strict rules about the age at which you should start displaying decorations for the festival, but it is generally said that it is best to continue displaying them until around the age of 7.

    There is a saying that "a child is God's until the age of seven," which represents a prayer for God's protection in the desire to protect the holiness and innocence of children. In Japanese tradition, seven years of age is considered a major turning point in development, and there is an event called "Shichi-Go-San," making seven a particularly important turning point for children.
    For this reason, many families keep displaying the dolls until their child is seven years old.

    Recently, more and more homes are continuing to display dolls as mementos even after the children have grown up , and as there is no age limit, many families stop displaying them when their children move out, or use them as seasonal decorations.

  • 　

    Tango no Sekku is a cultural festival where families with boys pray for their sons' growth and happiness.

    As a culture that can be enjoyed even as an adult,
    We hope you enjoy your celebrations forever.