Autumn kids ceremony,Shichi-go-san / Ujigami and Ubusuna concept / Local nature gods
Friday, October 7, 2016
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Shichi-go-san(753) festival.
It literally means seven,five and three years old in Japanese.
Also,Shichi-go-san is a ceremony for three and five years boys
and three and seven year old girls.
Shichi-go-san is held on November 15th
or the nearest Saturday or Sunday.
Three years old boy.
It is a traditional Japanese event to celebrate children's growth
and we pray for their future health and well-being.
Children beautifully dress up in Japanese kimono.
They go to a local shrine with their parents and grandparents.
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They have a ritual in the nearest big shrine from their home.
In ancient times,many babies couldn't survive because of disease,
poverty or sometting else,and parents wished a long live for their children.
It is said that this is why people started to pray to nature gods as Shichi-go-san.
In true Shinto's point of view,it is a little bit different.
I am sad about these misunderstandings.
Shinto shrine is not for people's private wish.
We just "dedicate thanks" at shrine not a private wish.
Gods can not help individual matter.
Your ancestors do.
(Although nature gods are always watching local kids and people)
Personal future lucks depend on their dead ancestor's level in another death world.
They are always watching and helping us practically more than you think.
So,our spiritual guardians are our dead ancestors not an angel or something.
All human were allowed to born by Ujigami(Local area's nature guardian).
There are countless Ujigami everywhere if there is nature or land.
Before you were born,Ujigami,nature local gods and each individual spirit have a meeting for decision about which parents to have in the future.
All conditions about health, body and parents are depend on each spirit's "conscience level"
and amount of their moral/justice-saving collection in past many lives before you born.
So,Shichi-go-san is a growth-thanks ceremony towards Ujigami in shrine.
We show our children to nature gods with gratitude.
We have to say
"Thank you for new Japanese children that you gave.They are sound"
We all are given self life by Ujigami of the Earth and parents as top ancestors.
Children get candies called Chitose-ame.(pink and white)
It tastes a rich milk flavor.
Chitose means a long life like thousand years / Ame means a candy
The combination of red and white is a symbol for happy occasions in Japan.
Crane and turtle are printed on the candy bag as a symbols of long life too.
Many families takes commemorative pictures at studios.
Some parents make special photo books for their children.
photos by wikipedia and photolibrary