Hinamatsuri
The Japanese tradition, “Hinamatsuri” or Girls’ Day is celebrated on March 3rd (the 3rd day of the 3rd month) and is an occasion to pray for a young girl’s growth and happiness.
Kodomo No Hi
Kodomo no hi or Japanese Children’s Day is a festival originally for boys (“tango no sekku”) but which has been renamed for both sexes and is held on the 5th day of the 5th month. On this day families with newborn sons fly koinobori, beautiful multi-colored carp windsocks outside of homes to wish their sons
Chinese Red Egg and Ginger Celebration
A Red Egg and Ginger Party is where proud parents introduced their new baby to friends and relatives. Traditionally, a newborn was not given a name or formally accepted into the family until this time because, as in other countries, infant mortality rates in China were quite high. A baby who reached one month of
Chinese Red Egg and Ginger Celebration Read More »
New Year Celebrations
Although many Asian cultures recognize the Asian Zodiac, they each have their own way of bringing in the New Year. Some follow the calendar New Year, while others follow the solar calendar.
New Year Celebrations Read More »
Asian Zodiac
Background The Asian Zodiac origins are based on the lunar year cycle and are shared by the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other Southeast Asian cultures worldwide. Like the Western Zodiac, the Asian Zodiac origins is based in part on the idea that people born in the same time period tend to share certain personality traits.