“SHUNBUN NO HI”: VERNAL EQUINOX DAY

Today, at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, 5-star resort, we are celebrating the spring.

On 20thMarch spring will start. The Japanese call it “Shunbun No Hi”, one of the fifteen holidays in their calendar which can fall on 20th or 21st depending on the year.

This celebration dates back to the “Shunki Koreisai” (Japanese religion which worships “kami”, spirits of nature).

Traditionally, the equinox was when people paid their respect to their ancestors through “Higan”, also a Chinese tradition.

The word “higan” means “the other side of the river” and represents paradise.

The Japanese 1948 constitution eliminated religious festivities in order to divide state and religion, so the “Shunki Koreisai” was rechristened as “Vernal Equinox Day”.

It is said that when day and night are equal is when Buddha comes to Earth to save all lost souls and help them cross the river. That is why visiting deceased relatives is a happy event. People decorate graves with incense and flowers, sometimes they even bring food.

The most traditional food during this holiday is the “Ohagi or Botamochi”, a ball of boiled rice covered with sweet bean paste. Legend has it that they are circular because spirits prefer them that way as they are easier to carry on the journey to the bank of the river.

The harmony Japanese people feel towards nature turns the celebration of the “Shunbun No Hi” into a sign of respect for it as well as respect for all living beings. At this time of the year is when cherry trees blossom and they are at their best during “Hanami”.

If you wish to see cherry trees, come to the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, our 5-star luxury hotel.