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Holidays and Festivals Around the World
Shinto
Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion that does not have a founder or a sacred scripture. It is deeply rooted in nature and does not have only one god. There are currently 4 million people following the Shinto religion worldwide
The “Shinto gods” are called kami. Kami are sacred sprits of nature, with the two main gods being Izanagi and Izanami who are the creation gods. Shinto’s believe that people are fundamentally good and that evil is caused by evil sprits. The also practice ancestor worship.
There are Four Affirmations that Shinto’s follow and these are:
- Tradition and family: the family is the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved.
- Love of nature: nature is sacred and natural objects are to be worshipped as sacred spirits.
- Physical cleanliness: they must take baths, wash their hands, and rinse their mouth often.
- "Matsuri": festival which honors the spirits.
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| January 1 | Shogatsu |
New Year |
| January 15 | Seijin-no-hi | Coming of age celebration for young men and women twenty years of age. |
| January 21 | Toshi-goi-no-Matsuri | Celebration of winter solstice |
| Febuary 3 | Setsubun | It marks the end of winter and eve of spring. It is celebrated by throwing beans into each room of the house and through the outer doors in order to expel bad fortune and invoke good fortune. |
| March 3 | Hina-matsuri |
A celebration of the daughters of the family. Traditional costumes are worn, shrines are visited and traditional food is eaten. |
| March 21 | Shubun-sai |
It is an equinox day - a day for grave-visiting in particular and for remembering ancestors. It is also associated with Buddhism in Japan. |
| November 15 | Shichi-Go-San | Parents take boys of three and five years old and girls of three and seven to give thanks to the gods for a healthy life. |
| *Holidays in bold are the most important holidays. | ||
Last Updated: 18-Mar-2008
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