Obon, August 13-15thObon is an annual event that is celebrated in July. It commemorates people’s ancestors who have past away. People who celebrate Obon believe that their ancestor's spirits will return to visit their relatives.
A Buddhist monk named Mokuren started Obon after his mother had died. He saw his mother in a vision that she was not at peace with the earth because she had performed bad deeds while still living. Mokuren went to see a guru and asked if he could help his mother in any way. The guru told him that he should perform some good deeds for his mother to balance out her bad deeds. After Mokuren had finally finished his good deeds for his mother, Mokuren could not feel his mother soul anymore. She was finally at peace with the earth. and Due to his good deeds, Mokuren broke into dance and now the dance is know as Bon dance. Bon odori is a very colourful and lively dance. Bon odori take place in temples and on street in summer. There are 1000s of different types of bon dances in Japan. Females wear light kimonos called yukata. Music accompanies the dance. The song should be related to the spiritual message. At the end of the festival the Japanese make floating lanterns out of paper, the floating lanterns are released down the river to guide ancestor's spirit back to the world of the dead. It is also celebrated with firework at the end. Obon has been celebrated for more than 500 years. By Hayley |
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