Vernal Equinoctial Week is from March 17th (Mon) to March 23rd (Sun), this year (2025).
 
Higan is the period of three days before and after the Vernal Equinox Day (March 20th in 2025). It becomes warmer around this period.
 
It is said that “heat and cold last until the equinox” (Atsusa samusa-mo higan-made).
This week has been quite chilly, but hopefully, spring will start to feel closer soon.
 
“Higan (彼岸)” means another world. It originally meant spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism.
Today, it is a time when people visit their ancestors’ graves and offer botamochi at the family altar.
This custom is unique to Japan.
 

The photo below is of the rice cakes covered with bean jam (bota-mochi).
 

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

 
It is called “bota-mochi (ぼたもち)” around the Vernal Equinox because it is the peony flower (Botan / 牡丹) season.
 

Around the Autumn Equinox, It is 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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