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Birthdays And Rites Of Passage

According to Japanese beliefs, certain years of age are considered unlucky or even dangerous, while others are perceived to be auspicious and worthy of celebration. Special ceremonies and rituals are thus practiced in order to drive away bad luck and/or to bring in good luck during these critical ages. It is for this reason that the following years are recognized in Japanese customs: What is Shichi Go San? Shichi Go San, or the Seven-Five-Three Festival, is observed on November 15th of every year. On this day, five-year-old boys, along with three- and seven-year-old girls, are dressed in kimonos and blessed by a Shinto priest for their continued health and well-being. It was originally believed that children of these particular ages were especially prone to bad luck. The Shinto blessing and prayers were thus thought to provide divine protection for children at the critical points in their formative years. The observance has come to be regarded as a momentous rite of passage, as it represents the childs elevation to little men and little women.

calendar, was organized on 60-year cycles. The cycle of life returns to its starting point in 60 years, and as such, kanreki celebrates that point in a mans life when his personal calendar has returned to the calendar sign under which he was born. Traditionally, friends and relatives are invited for a celebratory feast on ones 60th birthday. It is customary for the celebrant to be given a red hood and wear a red vest. These clothes are usually worn by babies and thus symbolize the celebrants return to his birth. Other birthday years celebrated by both men and women: What is Ga No Iwai? Ga no iwai (also known as toshiiwai) is a Japanese rite of passage celebrated at various ages to pray for long life. This tradition was brought to Japan from China, and originally was celebrated once every ten years beginning when one turned 40 according to the traditional Japanese method of calculating age. Since the sixteenth century, ga no iwai has come to be celebrated beginning when one turns 60 (kanreki), and subsequently at ages 70 (koki), 77 (kiju), 80 (sanju), 88 (beiju), 90 (sots uju), and 99 (hakuju). What is Kiju? The celebration of ones 77th birthday is an example of ga no iwai. Age 77 is the joyous year, and to live until that age is indeed fortunate. The Japanese characters for kiju literally mean joy and long life. What is Beiju? The celebration of ones 88th birthday, known as beiju or yone-no-iwai, became popular since the Japanese characters for 88, when written together, resemble the character for rice (yone, also read as bei). From the very beginning of history, rice was respected by the people, for it was their food, their life, their very livelihood and happiness. An integral and fundamental part of Japanese society, rice symbolized purity and goodness. Thus the 88th birthday is celebrated as a happy and joyous occasion.

What is Yakudoshi? Bad luck ages are referred to as yakudoshi, with yaku meaning calamity or calamitous and doshi signifying year(s). These years are considered critical or dangerous because they are believed to bring bad luck or disaster. For men, the ages 24 and 41 (or 25 and 42 in Japan) are deemed critical years, with 41 being especially critical. It is customary in these unlucky years to visit temples and shrines to provide divine protection from harm. In Hawaii, it has become a widespread tradition among men of Japanese ancestry to celebrate the 41st birthday with a festiveyakudoshi party or gathering to ward off the bad luck or disaster that may strike. The birthday person should wear red to bring good health, vitality and long life. The equivalent yakudoshi ages for women are 18 and 32 (19 and 33 in Japan), with 32 thought to be a particularly hard, terrible or disastrous year. Like the age 41 for men, precautions are taken to ward off bad luck, and some women in Hawaii celebrate their 32nd birthday with a special yakudoshi party. What is Kanreki? For men, the 60th birthday is called kanreki, the recognition of his second infancy. The Japanese characters in the word kanreki literally mean return and calendar. The traditional calendar, which was based on the Chinese

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