CHILDREN’S DAY : MAY 5
Kodomo-no-i is a day for children. This festival happens on 5th of May (fifth day of fifth month). Well, actually it is suppose to be “Children’s Day” everyone calls it “Boy’s Day”. On “Boy’s Day”, the family who has a son goes outside and flies huge carp-shaped streamers (koinobori) in their garden. Actually the height of this is really as tall as a 3-story house. Only boys on this day wear something called Gogatsu-ningyo, dolls of famous warriors and other heroes.
7-5-3 FESTIVAL : NOVEMBER 11
In Japan, they celebrate a festival call Shichi-go-san. Shichi stands for 7, go stands for 5 and san stands for 3. This festival is celebrated on 11th of November. Only the children who are 3, 5, or 7 are supposed to celebrate it. During this festival, they wear kimonos and girls wear hair bands like this. The parents only celebrate this festival for children who are 3,, 5, or 7 years old because it is believed that these are the when the children’s bodies are growing the best. Actually when the child is 3 years old both children (boys and girls) celebrate it but when the child is 5 years old, only the boys are suppose to celebrate it. When the child is 7 years old, only the girls are supposed to celebrate it. But almost every place in Japan celebrates it in all the same time so they think it is not important if they celebrate it for girls or boys.