I got this explanation of Obon from Wikipedia:
"Obon or just Bon (盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori."
Odori means dance. I've always loved the excitement and happiness of the Obon season. As a child I used to go to the Buddhist temple with friends several weeks before the Bon Dance was scheduled to take lessons. I haven't danced in over 40 years and I'm afraid to try it again. However, I remember the fun and joy of it.
Obon was important to my mother for the religious part of honoring our ancestors. Obon for me was .... forgive me... teriyaki sticks, shave ice, rice balls, craft stalls, sushi, dressing up in pretty kimonos and dancing.
Seeing the lights tonight and all the people gathered around the tower (where the musicians and singers performed) made me remember the joy of it all. Disappointingly, we didn't find a happi coat for KC. However, every week in Hawaii there's another Obon Dance somewhere on the island. We'll try to attend another one to see if anybody is selling happi coats. Maybe they'll have teriyaki sticks and shave ice too?
UPDATE on Amazon: Remember that problem we had with Amazon? I couldn't believe how quickly we got the replacement mug. We received the mug just a day after I wrote to them! It still wasn't packed well, but it was in good shape this time.
I did get a message again saying that because I chose the replacement mug, there will be no refund. Oh well... at least the mug is replaced although the three metal cans of chocolate he sent were also horribly dented. It's a shame because they could have been decorative and reused. So the final on this is that it was great they replaced the mug, but the customer service is OK... not great.... just OK.
UPDATE 2 on Amazon: Would you believe I got another message from Amazon saying they would give a refund on the dented chocolate set after all?
OK... the final review of their Customer Service is GREAT! Although... I'll wait to see if my son's account really is credited as they say it will be.
Nice to learn about this festival Kay. I hope you find that Happi coat.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to honor those who have gone on ahead. I too hope you find that happi coat for KC.
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful celebration, our japanese exchange student told us of this celebration,, nobody honors the past on relatives as do the Japanese,, beautiful,, good luck with your search for the happi coat!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and comforting festival. I like the Happi coats on the link - they are beautiful:-)
ReplyDeleteHave fun,
ReplyDeletehow fun, it sounds like memorial day in the usa! It's important to honor our ancestors
ReplyDeleteGlad you provided the link for happi coats. I have seen them before on news casts, just didn't know what I was seeing. Hope you find one for KC. Teriyaki sticks sound good.
ReplyDeleteI love how you and Art are keeping traditions alive!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis festival reminds me of the Hallowed Eve of all Souls, known as Halloween these days and commercialized to heck. We always went to church to attend a mass for the dead. The Mexicans have their Dia de la Muerte which falls on the same say as Halloween. They take cakes and other food to the graves of their dead, and have a feast. The Irish have Samhein (I think that is how it is spelled) when the scraming banshees come out and it is best to stay indoors.
ReplyDeleteVery importaant to remember the dead, we will be with them soon enough!! Thanks for sharing your information. Your celebration seems a bit friendlier than some. Dianne
Kay, have you checked Shirokiya for the happi coat? They might have it. Good luck.
ReplyDeletewow..nice to know about obon... have a nice time :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely custom. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd before you give up on the hapi oat, try a tourist shop or two. They still sell them to tourists.
Can you show us a picture of a happi coat?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you are forgiven for liking Bon for the food and the fun. That's what most of us do with Christmas and Easter too.
Kay -- Sounds like more people should wear happicoats. When the chocolate is gone, you may be able to hammer out the dents from the inside, then it will look like it's from the '40s. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great celebration.We too have something very similar here too ,it always falls in the month of Sep or Oct depending upon Hindu calendar.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a beautiful happi coat for KC .
Hello Kay,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting information. I was amazed to read that Buddhism has reached Hawaii several hundred years back and being fervently practiced there.
Have a lovely Sunday,
Joseph
Sounds like maybe you should get back into Odori dancing . . .
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see KC in a little happi coat. I've been wearing my red one, with a sash, as a summer robe for about 4 decades. It has a pagoda near water stitched on it.
Your link says "Festival happi coats originated from the Japanese fireman's jackets."
Hey, you think Amazon reads your blog?
I LOVE hearing about your customs.. Amazon has always been good to me when I have had a problem
ReplyDeleteDina: I highly doubt they do because I imagine it would be hard to find me.
ReplyDeleteOK, good.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention the andagi (ahn daaa ghi) aka okinawan donuts!!!! They are the BEST thing at the bon dances. There is this guy, he has a mobile setup and he can be found at most of the bon dances around the island, and he has the best tasting andagi I can remember. His secret is using 2 woks, one at a higher temp than the other. On days other than bon dances he moves his mobile operation to various don quijote stores and sell a bag of 4 of them for $1. His name is Guy and his business is called, predictably, Da Andagi Guy. My kids have grown up on his andagi because we bought most of our food at Daiei (later sold and name changed to don quijote) but still popular with the japanese and locals. He is at the waipahu store a couple times a week and the pearl city store as well.
ReplyDeletealoha,
walt
Cousin Walt: We know the Andagi Man very well. In fact, my son-in-law LOVES it!!! It's the first thing he asks for when he comes to Hawaii. Tif even got him a t-shirt from the Andagi guy.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay!
ReplyDeleteThese days we don't have chances to go to Bonodori more than before because the nation's birthrate is in decline.
but every year I went to Bonodori with my family at school near my mother's house.
this year I have my baby son.
so next year or two years later I wanna go there again:)
by the way do you know " Tokyo ondo " and " Tankobushi"?
I like dancing with these songs!
now my baby son is sleeping well.
he starts to cry when he can't see me.so I have to eat every meal quickly or stop to eat it sometimes. sometimes I can't go to the bathroom when I want to go to.
but he is very cute. and I'm lucky to have a son. I didn't know how sweet own kid is!
Aya: I'm afraid I don't recognize any of the dances any more. I remember what fun I used to have.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad your son is sleeping better now. They seem to always have trouble adjusting to their parents' day and night patterns in the beginning.