Obon – Festival of welcoming the spirits of the ancestors

Obon (お盆) is an annual Buddhist event to honor the ancestors. It is believed that every year during Obon , the spirits of the ancestors return to this world to visit their relatives.

Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the spirits of ancestors, obon (bon odori) dances are performed, graves are visited, and food offerings are made at home altars and temples. At the end of the Obon , floating lanterns are placed in rivers, lakes, and seas to guide the spirits back to their world. The customs that are followed vary greatly from one region to another.

The Obon Festival is celebrated around the 15th day of the seventh month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar; however, it corresponds roughly to August according to the lunar calendar used above. As a result, Obon is mainly celebrated from August 13 to 16 , although in some areas it is also celebrated in mid-July.

The origin of the word “Obon” comes from the Buddhist term “Urabone” (盂蘭盆会) which is an event for the spirits of ancestors and parents to save them from suffering. Japan is said to have started this event around 606 AD. C., then stayed after that and the word was shortened to ” Obon” .

There are some preparations before the Obon to receive the ancestors, for example, the Kamabutatsuitachi (釜蓋朔日) is held on August 1. People go to the graves of their ancestors and begin preparations to welcome their spirits. On the night of the 13th, small fires called Mukaebi (迎え火) are made to welcome the spirits.

After this, people put offerings in the Shouryoudana , such as watermelons, fruits, vegetables, sweet snacks, etc., known as Shouryou Uma (精霊馬) where a cucumber and an eggplant with four sticks inserted as legs represent a horse and a cow respectively. The horse quickly takes the spirits to their homes with their relatives and the cow will slow the return of the spirits to the other world, making them stay longer in the world of the living.

On August 16, another fire called Okuribi (送り火) is made, which is the fire that is made to send the spirit from the world of the living to the world of the dead. It is a small fire that is made at the entrance of the house.

Bon Odori (盆踊り) is held on the afternoon of the 16th. Inside the temple grounds, people gather and dance to the rhythm of taiko. Currently the Bon Odori is no longer a religious event and has become more of an entertainment event.

The most famous Obon in Japan are: the Gozan no Okuribi (五山の送り火) in Kyoto, the Funakko Nagashi (舟っこ流し) in Iwate, Kemanai no Bon Odori (毛馬内の盆踊り) in Akita, Fukagawa Matsuri (深川祭) in Tokyo, Kisarazukou Matsuri (木更津港まつり) in Chiba, Owara Kaze no Bon (おわら風の盆) in Toyama, Gujyou Odori (郡上おどり) in Gifu, Awa Odori (阿波踊り) in Tokushima among others.

The days of the Obon period are not national holidays, however, many people take days off to return home. Celebrating the Obon does not exactly mean that you are a devout Buddhist. Coming home to Obon means more opportunities to reunite with your family.

Do you celebrate a similar festival in your country? Tell us in the comments!