Obon

Well it is Obon time again. This is my 5th Obon in Okinawa. The first year I spent with my supervisors family. The 2nd year I hung out with ALT people on Ou Jima and ate tempura. The 3rd and 4th years I went to A's families Obon celebrations. This last year I am going to spend at home, on the internet... writing about it instead. I went to A's family house on the first day. I brought my ochugen and enjoyed a delicious meal of Tebichi Soup (minus the Tebichi for me) and Jushi Rice.

During Obon it is believed that the spirits of the ancestors return to their homes for those 3 days. Okinawan people follow the Chinese Lunar calendar, so the Obon dates are different from those in mainland Japan. The first day of Obon (Unkeh) is spent greeting the ancestors and arranging elaborate offerings of fruit, tea, awamori, incense, flowers, sugar cane, and lanterns on the family altar, which is called the Butsudan. The second day (Nakabi) offers 3 meals to the ancestors. The last day (Ukui) is spent preparing and eating a lavish meal. Before midnight there is a special ceremony to send off the ancestral spirits back to their tombs. Eisa is also performed during Obon. During Obon you are not supposed to go in the Ocean because of superstitions that the ancestors that are coming/going will take you with them. I don't go swimming during this time.....

Today is the 3rd and last day, Ukui. I might go and watch Eisa later tonight and try to capture some nice shots. Here is a video of Eisa at a festival last summer.

The Obon Celebration reminds me a lot of the ancestral worship practice that I saw/experienced while visiting Mari in South Africa. Ancestor Worship is very interesting to me and makes sense because we all have ancestors and it would only make sense that we give them respect and recognition. Hmm ... more about that in another post. Makhos.