From March 18 (Tue) to March 24 (Mon) is the “Higan” period.

It is the period of three days before and after the Vernal Equinox Day. It becomes warmer around Higan.
“Higan (彼岸)” means another world. It originally means spiritual enlightens in Buddhism, but “Higan” as a custom is traditionally Japanese. People visit their ancestors’ graves and put rice cakes coverd with bean jam, dumplings and other things on their household shrines.

The photo is the rice cakes covered with bean jam (bota-mochi).
Their name change depending on the season, and they are named after a seasonal flower each.
They are called “bota-mochi (ぼたもち)” around the Vernal Equinox, because it is the peony flower (botan / 牡丹) season.
Around the Autom Equinox, they are called “ohagi (おはぎ)”‘ because it is the bush clover (hagi / 萩) season.

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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

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