5th May is the Children’s Day in Japan. It’s national holiday.
A family with children (boys) puts up koinobori – carp-shaped streamers – in their garden this day wishing the boys can be strong and courageous as carp. (Traditionally in Japan, carp is the symbol of vigor and vitality.) Of course, today, we celebrate this day for both boys and girls equally.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Many Japanese traditions accompany special foods for celebrating them. In case of the children’s Day, it is Kashiwamochi rice cake. The rice cake can be white (plain) or green (mixed with yomogi herb).
The rice cake is stuffed with sweet red bean paste, and wrapped in a kashiwa leaf.
Kashiwa (Quercus dentata) is one of oak species, which is traditionally considered as a tree of good luck in the sense of the succession of a family, because the old dry leaves of the previous year stay on branch during winter until the buds will have sprouted in next spring.
(http://had0.big.ous.ac.jp/plantsdic/)
It is unlikely that you can visit Japan to see carp streamers this year because of COVID19. Webmaster wishes you’ll visit to enjoy Japan as sooner as possible.
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