| Examples
created in English that do follow the traditional verse form:
A
tree sighs, lets go -
the last leaf slips to the ground.
Cold, alone, waiting.
Quick
mother squirrel
Flick of the tail - up tree, down
nut taken, babe fed
Zen
Gardening
The Zen rock garden of the Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto is a United
Nations World Heritage site and is reported to bring a sense
of serenity to all who visit it. It was created in the 15th
Century and is a landscape of white pebbles with 15 rocks.
The pebbles are carefully raked into pattern each day.
Zen gardens
reproduce the beauty and calmness of nature. Mountains are
represented with stones, islands are created with moss and
water is imitated with sand or pebbles. Caring for and viewing
the gardens provide a space for meditation.
To create miniature Zen gardens at home, you will need the
following materials:
• One base for each person making a garden (perhaps
a shoe box lid or shallow dish)
• Enough sand to fill your base container about ½
full
• Rocks
• Moss
• Small rake (make one from heavy cardboard or wood,
or simply use a fork)
If you
are using a shoebox lid as a base, you will likely want to
line it to minimize sand leakage. Each garden design can be
left up to the designer, as can the sand pattern design. As
you create and maintain your Zen garden, reflect on the beauty
of nature and the state of calmness required to rake the sand
in a consistent pattern. Relax and remember the purpose of
your personal garden is to still your mind.
Tea
Ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony is a unique pastime to Japan which
features the serving and drinking of a green powdered tea.
The custom has been strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism.
Have your own family tea ceremony. Get out your best china
and beautiful plates or use small bowls for the tea. Serve
a special tea you have never tried before or a Japanese green
tea. Have some special treats to serve with the tea.
You can
make your tea ceremony as simple or as elaborate as suits
your family. Arrange plants all around the tea area, making
it look like a Japanese garden. You can have Japanese music
playing softly in the background (you can borrow CDs from
your local library), or if you do not have access to Japanese
music, play some of your favorite soothing music. Ask everyone
to take their shoes off and have a small doorway set up that
everyone needs to stoop to go through. Sit on mats on the
floor.
The tea
ceremony is meant to be very peaceful and grounding. It is
important to leave the troubles of the world outside the doorway
and be very respectful. This is a great time to reconnect
with one another.
Cherish
this time with your family, remembering, the Japanese belief
that “every human encounter is a singular occasion
which will never recur again exactly”. This means
that every aspect of tea must be savored for what it gives
the tea ceremony participants.
For more
information on the Japanese Tea Ceremony, see the Culture
Section.
Kite
Flying
Buddhist monks brought kites to Japan during the 7th century.
They were used to avert evil spirits and ensure rich harvests.
Today kite flying is a very popular past time in Japan especially
on Children’s Day (May 5th).
Enjoy a family kite building day. Each member of the family
can build his/her own kite and then try them out on the next
windy day.
Kite
Tips and Safety Suggestions …
• Build or fly kites made of wood or plastic. Only
use cloth for the tail.
• Fly kites in wide, open areas - away from power
lines, trees and buildings.
• Do not fly kites near the edge of a steep hill or
slope or too close to an airport.
• Use only cotton, linen or nylon string. Metallic
thread, wire or wire-reinforced string can be dangerous,
as it will attract electricity.
• Fly kites in dry weather. Wet kite string is a strong
conductor of electricity.
• It is best to fly in moderate wind - from 5 to 15
miles per hour.
• If the kite sinks tail first, there is not enough
wind.
• If the kite comes down head first or spins there
is too much wind.
• The wind needs to be blowing directly into the face
of the kite.
• If you tangle with another kite, walk toward the
other person and the tangle will travel down your lines
and be manageable from the ground
Links
to Kite Making:
Colorful
Carp Kite
Newspaper
Kites - This is a fun way to recycle newspaper. This kite's
plan can also be adapted to any other type of lightweight
paper or size.
3
types of kites to choose from
Festivals
7-5-3
(Shichi-go-san)
November 15th
Shichi-go-san
is celebrated on November 15th each year and honours 7 and
3 year old girls and 3 and 5 year old boys. On this date each
year, the honoured children dress up in their finest kimono
and pray at the shrine. This is a time to give thanks for
health given and to ask for continued well-being. After the
visit to the shrine, parents often treat the children to chitose-ame
(thousand years candy).
These
ages are celebrated as they mark certain traditional milestones
in the lives of the children. According to ancient Japanese
tradition, it was at the age of 3 that both girls and boys
were allowed to let their hair grow. At 5 boys were given
the chance to wear the first hakama pants (pleated pants worn
over the kimono) in public and at 7, girls were allowed to
wear their first obi (the long fabric belt worn with a kimono).
Ideas for celebrating Shichi-go-san in the Earthy
Family home:
This is a great day for learning more about the culture of
Japan, especially if you have children to celebrate with who
are at the appropriate ages. Celebrate with a Japanese
meal and offer your gratitude for each of your children
and their special gifts. Dinnertime can be about sharing what
each family member enjoys about the celebrated children and
after dinner can be spent enjoying some traditional Japanese
hobbies such as origami or haiku
poetry.
Cherry
Blossom Festival (O-hanami)
Spring
Japan
is often called the land of flowers and the name is most obvious
during cherry blossom season.
Cherry
blossoms (sakura) have been looked on for centuries as the
national flower of Japan. From ancient times the people of
Japan have celebrated the cherry blossom at O-hanami (literally
translating to “flower viewing”). Every spring,
during the season of O-hanami, cherry trees go into full bloom.
O-hanami is one of the happiest events in Japan and is celebrated
by many.
The sakura
signify the coming of spring but they also represent a deep
cultural belief in the short, transitory nature of youth and
life itself as the blossoms fall to the ground and disappear
in only a couple of weeks.
The season
of sakura has meant different things to the people of Japan
throughout their history:
- In
the eighth century and earlier, the Japanese offered prayers
while under the flowering cherry trees in a special ritual
for the fertility of the earth.
- In the Heian period the imperial court held a banquet
on the day of O-hanami to mark the change of seasons.
- In the Kamakura period (late 12th -14th centuries) the
warriors always considered the cherry blossoms the symbol
of a life lived fully, no matter how short, and the ritual
of cherry blossoms continued.
- In the Edo period (17th -19th centuries) flower viewing
became a popular secular event among the common people,
with much dancing, singing and drinking of sake.
- Today, picnics are often planned under the flowers by
schools, companies and families to celebrate the short fleeting
bloom of this popular symbol of Japan.
Celebrating
O-hanami in the Earthy Family home:
If you are fortunate enough to have cherry blossoms
in your area, take an afternoon to share a spring picnic with
some friends and family when they are at their peak. The beautiful
pink blooms are to be enjoyed, because, as the Japanese have
noted, their beauty is fleeting. If you don’t have cherry
trees, find another flowering bush or tree. A spring picnic
in the sunshine is one of life’s greatest offerings.
Setsubun
February 3rd
Setsubun
("splitting of the seasons") is a festival that
is held on February 3, one day before spring starts according
to the Japanese lunar calendar.
Setsubun
is associated with those rites of purification and exorcism
of evil deemed essential to preparing oneself for the coming
year and the spring planting season.
The Setsubun
observances that are still held on this day include:
- Opening the doors and windows of houses and expelling bad
luck and evil demons by tossing beans (mostly soybeans) into
the air while saying "fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto"
("fortune in and demons out!").
- Roasted soy beans are spread around the (cleaned) floor.
Family members then pick up and eat a number equivalent to
their age to ensure health and luck in the coming year.
Ideas
for celebrating Setsubun in the Earthy Family home:
Roasted soybeans (often packaged under the name soy nuts)
are a healthy and delicious treat that should be enjoyed on
the 3rd of February! Enjoy the Japanese traditions listed
above to rid your house of bad luck and ensure good luck throughout
the year.
Kodomon
no Hi (Children’s Day)
May 5th
Children’s
Day was originally celebrated as Boy’s Day, but with
growing gender equality it was transformed into a day to celebrate
all children. Traditions include flying carp-shaped streamers
in and around the home, displaying dolls of heroes and warriors,
praying for the health of children and sharing special meals
together. One of the delicacies of the day includes kashiwamochi,
which are rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped
in oak leaves. Children’s Day is a day to honour and
celebrate children – a wonderful tradition to celebrate
for the Earthy Family.
Ideas
for celebrating Kodomon no Hi in the Earthy Family home:
Make carp streamers together and hang them outside to catch
a spring breeze; check out the Enchanted
Learning site for directions, or try creating your own
from your imagination.
Enjoy a fun-filled, child-centered day – check out a
children’s theatre near you (which is a popular way
to celebrate Children’s Day in Japan) or spend the day
doing something else that your children will enjoy
Share a special meal – perhaps you want to sample Japanese
food at a local restaurant or try making
it at home.
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