"Golden Week" in Japan: dates, holiday history, events

Coming to work on time is a bad thing, at least in Japan. Every self-respecting citizen should appear at the workplace at least 30 minutes earlier and leave it half an hour later. So they are hard-working, Japanese. But in their calendar there are as many as 7 days when no one goes to work - "Golden Week" in Japan - a time of unrestrained fun and travel.

Festive Triad

How did this tradition come about? "Golden Week" in Japan is one of the three most lively holidays in the country. Among them:

• New Year is celebrated traditionally according to the Gregorian calendar on January 1. Once this holiday lasted all January, now holidays begin on December 28 and end on January 4.
• Obon - the days of commemoration of the dead. Also it is called the Lantern Festival, as with the onset of darkness people light lanterns and fire them into the sky. The celebration is accompanied by folklore songs and dances, in the Buddhist temples read the sacred books. This holiday was celebrated earlier from June 13 to June 15, but with the transition to the Gregorian calendar, the celebration time was shifted to August 13-15. Although some Japanese still celebrate Obon in the old style.

• Golden Week, or "Golden Week". The time when public holidays go one after another, therefore in Japan, almost all weekend days, not including hotel and airport employees, for them the "Golden Week" is the hottest time. The event starts on April 29 and ends on May 5th.

Birth of the Emperor

29.04 - the birthday of Emperor Hirohito, also called the Day of Sueva in Japan. Hirohito held his post for 63 years (1926-1989). In the history of Japan, this is the longest period of the emperor's rule. The Japanese even today remember and honor their leader.

For the time of his reign, many tragic events occurred. Among them: World War II and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These tragedies allowed the Japanese to rethink many values. And then there was an incredible economic upsurge, Japan became a member of the G-7, the country improved its daily life and increased the birth rate. Also during this period, television broadcasting began in Japan, and this was the first country in Asia to host the Olympic Games.

The country, disfigured by the war, rose from the ashes due to the efforts of Emperor Hirohito, which is why the "Golden Week" in Japan begins with the celebration of his birthday.

Constitution of the Land of the Rising Sun

May 3 in Japan called the Day of the Constitution. In 1947, Emperor Hirohito adopted a set of laws in which he refused to conduct military operations, and all international conflicts should be resolved peacefully. On this holiday in Japan, the parliament building is opened for visits. Those who wish can attend lectures on the importance of a democratic and pacifist constitution for Japan. Many daily printed publications will be able to acquaint themselves with the concise content of this legal document, in particular, with the ninth article - the basis of Japan's new constitutional law.

Day of Greenery

Further holidays in Japan at the "Golden Week" continues Green Day - 4.05. This day also has a peculiar connection with the first emperor of the Seva period. After the death of Hirohito and inclusive until 2006, April 29 was celebrated as the Green Day, for the late Emperor was fond of botany. In 2007, the government established the celebration of the 29.04 Day of Showa, which symbolized the beginning of the Seva period and veneration of the emperor. Green Day was shifted to 4.05, in fact, it does not carry any special meaning or meaning, but the Japanese like it.

Children's day

5.05 is a celebration of children in Japan. This tradition is more than 1000 years old. Originally it was the "Holiday of Boys". The full name translates as "the celebration of the first day of the horse," because for the samurai the horse was of extraordinary value. This animal is the personification of courage and determination. It is these qualities that are necessary for a real warrior.

During the Heian period, different sports-military competitions, such as horse-drawn trains, wrestling or fencing, were held on this day between the guys. The holiday was introduced specifically to educate the spirit of the samurai in the younger generation.

Later, in the Edo period, the event ceased to be the property of the military, and it could be celebrated by everyone. At this time, new traditions emerged. In the houses they made exhibitions of samurai figures, hung flags with a picture of koi carp, a symbol of stability and equanimity. Later, when the Children's Day was established, flags of various colors were posted. For example, a black banner was raised in honor of his father, red was intended for the mother, and blue for the children.

This holiday ends with the "Golden Week" in Japan. After him the usual work days begin again.

Celebration

The dates of the Golden Week in Japan fall to the beginning of May (April 29, 05.05), the time when it became warm. Therefore, many Japanese migrate to places of worship, such as Kyoto or Kamakura, to look at the cultural heritage of their ancestors. Some simply go on picnics to admire nature. Most cities in Japan have already completed the cherry blossom period, but those wishing to admire the pink flowers can go to Aomori, Hakodate or Sapporo. From the location of the islands that stretch from the south to the north, in these cities the cherry blossom is just beginning to blossom.

A lot of tourists visit the "Golden Week", so it's difficult to find a free place in the hotel. At the stations and airports, there are large lines, but this does not cloud the upbeat festive mood. At this time, you can visit the spring festivals. Take part in cheerful competitions or try the local cuisine, and in the evening admire the colorful fireworks.

At this time, companies and educational institutions do not work, the participants of school sports clubs go to training camps. At the "Golden Week" they hold sports competitions, arrange concerts or demonstration bouts of samurai. Residents rest from everything ordinary, travel around the country, gather with friends for a get-together or just admire nature.

"Golden Week" are not just days when you can not work, it is a kind of reminder of the period of the reign of Emperor Hirohito, whose main motto was the absence of conflicts. And on such days, not only the Japanese, but even tourists feel that in the modern world a real peace is possible.