Kodomo no hi Japan Festival

At the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we keep discovering you new Asian traditions and rites. Today we are taking you to Japan to celebrate Children’s Day: Kodomo no hi.

Kodomo no hi is a Japanese national holiday, which takes place annually on May 5. Japanese families celebrate the healthy growth and happiness of their children in the last day of the Golden Week.

Originally it was a celebration dedicated exclusively to boys, girls celebrated Hinamatsuri or Doll Festival on March 3. However, nowadays this holiday includes both sexes.

During the previous week, Japanese families fly carp-shaped streamers, which are called koinobori, outside the house. They usually raise one carp for the father, one for the mother and another one for each child. They believe that the bigger they are, the better the children will grow. For Japanese culture, carps symbolize strength and determination, due to the obstacles they overtake to swim upstream. According to Chinese tradition, carps swim upstream to become dragons.

Another important ornament on Kodomo no hi is the gogatsu ningyo. Families display these doll warriors, which reproduce historic heroes. They also show the traditional Japanese military helmet, kabuto.

Japanese families enjoy special desserts on Kodomo no hi. These are kashiwa, mochi rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves, and chimaki, mochi wrapped in a bamboo leaf. Oak symbolizes prosperity.

At the 5 star resorts Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we also have our own traditions. If you visit us, don´t miss out our Wishing Fountain Ceremony, which takes place every Saturday at the fountain in the Hotel Hall.