Obon festival

The Obon Festival is one of Japan’s largest festivals. It is held to pay homage to the souls of ancestors or the deceased. It is believed that during the festival of Obon souls can return to the human world to visit their relatives. Obon is one of the longest holidays in Japan. The Japanese will return home to reunite their relatives and pay respects to the spirits of their hometowns. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of the house to guide souls, bon dances, tomb salutations. including at home or at the temple And at the end of Obon, the lanterns will be floated in lakes, rivers or seas to send the souls of the deceased back to the present hereafter. There are quite a few differences. From the festival date, some regions will hold this festival in mid-July. because it will be calculated according to the Chinese calendar But because the festival date has to change every year From mid-July to mid-August Many regions have shifted to adopting mid-August as Obon Day instead. In general, Obon Day is similar to Songkran in Thailand, plus Ching Meng and Chinese Sart. make the beginning The traffic will be crowded as people leave the big cities. There are many types of celebrations such as A mask dance that will celebrate until dawn Vegetables decorated with artificial wheels are meant to represent vehicles for the souls to come up to celebrate the Obon festival. branches used for decoration The food will be well prepared. to show welcome Do not use strong-smelling herbs, such as garlic, as this will hinder the arrival of the soul. As the story goes that ghosts are afraid of the smell of garlic.