Today marks the beginning of Obon, a
celebration of ancestors and family. Oban is a Buddhist tradition
which began over 500 years ago. During Oban people return to their
family homes to visit and clean the graves of their ancestors.
Before Oban begins people clean their
houses and altars in preparation. On the first day of Obon paper
chochin lanterns are lit at the home altar, then carried to the
graves of their ancestors to guide their way home. Fires may also be
lit at the entrance to the house to guide the spirits. Homes are
filled with the scent of incense.
Oban lasts for three days. During this
time people gather with family and friends to eat, dance the Bon
Odori, and enjoy summer treats like watermelon. The Bon Odori dance
welcomes the spirits of the dead, and varies from location to
location. Typically, however, dancers make a circle around a scaffold
called a yagura where the musicians and singers sit.
In Kyoto, giant bonfires are also lit
during the height of the Obon festival. The bonfires form giant
characters that can be viewed from a distance. Known as the Gozan no
Okuribi, or "Giant Words", characters formed by the fires
light up the mountains surrounding Kyoto. Five bonfires are lit
forming the words: Great wondrous Dharma, followed by an image of a
boat. The character for great is then repeated followed by the shape
of a shrine gate.
On the last night of Oban the ceremony
of toro nagashi (floating lanterns) takes place. Paper lanterns
inscribed with the family crest are lit by candles. These lanterns
are carried to a river and let go to float to the ocean, guiding the
spirit back to the other world.
