Autumn Equinoctial Week this year (2024) is from September 19 (Thu) to September 25 (Wed).

 

 

Higan is the period of three days before and after the Autumnal Equinox Day (September 22nd this year). It becomes cooler around this period.

 

 

“Higan (彼岸)” means another world. It originally meant spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism, but “Higan” as a custom is traditionally specific to Japan.

People visit their ancestors’ graves and put rice cakes covered with bean jam, dumplings, and other things on their household shrines.
 

 

 

The photo below is the rice cakes covered with bean jam (ohagi).

 

 

Their name changes depending on the season, and they are named after a seasonal flower.

It is called “ohagi (おはぎ)”, because it is the bush clover (hagi / 萩) season, around the Autumnal Equinox Day.
 

(Photo: hagi / bush clover)
 

Around the Vernal Equinox, it is called “bota-mochi (ぼたもち)”, because it is the peony flower (botan / 牡丹) season.
 

(Photo: botan (peony)

 

 

 

Category : 24 Divisions of The Solar Year , Japanese Culture , text @en

Tag : 24 divisions of the solar year , 24sekki , corona virus , COVID-19 , COVID19 , Emergency , Japanese culture , season , tanabata , The coronavirus , 日本の文化