Culture
Shichi-go-san Traditional Event in Japan
JAPAN Nov. 18. 2020
Shichi-go-san is an annual event in Japan that celebrates the growth of children aged 3, 5, and 7; people report, appreciate, and pray at shrines and other places.
It is said that the origin of Shichi-go-san is the ritual of 3-year-old "Kamioki", 5-year-old "Hakamagi", and 7-year-old "Obitoki" performed in the Heian period. Kamioki is the ritual where children will stop shaving their hair and can grow their hair longer. Hakamagi is the ritual for boys where they can finally start wearing Hakama. Obitoki is the ritual that girls begin to tie the same obi as adults.
In the past, child mortality rate was very high that people celebrated the growth at these points and prayed for the longevity and happiness of their children. Even in the present age where medical care has developed, these rituals have been inherited in the form of Shichi-go-san.
Thank you for reading this article! I am attaching the photo of my shichi-go-san when I was 3 years old. I hope you can imagine and feel the Shichi-go-san.
It is said that the origin of Shichi-go-san is the ritual of 3-year-old "Kamioki", 5-year-old "Hakamagi", and 7-year-old "Obitoki" performed in the Heian period. Kamioki is the ritual where children will stop shaving their hair and can grow their hair longer. Hakamagi is the ritual for boys where they can finally start wearing Hakama. Obitoki is the ritual that girls begin to tie the same obi as adults.
In the past, child mortality rate was very high that people celebrated the growth at these points and prayed for the longevity and happiness of their children. Even in the present age where medical care has developed, these rituals have been inherited in the form of Shichi-go-san.
Thank you for reading this article! I am attaching the photo of my shichi-go-san when I was 3 years old. I hope you can imagine and feel the Shichi-go-san.
JAPAN Nov. 18. 2020
