Hanami (literally “flower viewing”), originated in the Nara period (710–94) with plum blossoms, but cherry blossom viewing became more popular in the Heian period. (© Pixta) Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)Īt this time of year, there are daily updates about the blossoming of cherry trees. Rice cakes known as botamochi in spring and ohagi in autumn. In autumn, the same rice cakes are called ohagi after the hagi or bush clover that flowers in autumn. The rice cakes are also used as offerings at ancestors’ graves and butsudan (household Buddhist altars) to pray for a good crop. (© Pixta)īotamochi rice cakes coated with sweet azuki bean paste are a traditional spring equinox treat, representing the botan (peonies) that are in season. Shintō ceremonies are also held for the start of the farming year, and it is said that the end of Higan brings warmer spring or cooler autumn temperatures.ĭuring Higan, many people visit their ancestors’ graves to pay their respects. The Higan weeks start three days before each equinox and continue for the three days after. Higan memorial services for the dead date back to the Heian period (794–1185), and are only performed in Japan. In Japan, it is believed that the Pure Land is closest at the equinoxes, as the sun sets due west. In Buddhist belief, the Buddha and bodhisattvas reside in the Western Pure Land, which is the world of enlightenment or “distant shore” (a literal translation of the Japanese higan). Higan, marked in the periods around the spring and autumn equinoxes, is a Buddhist holiday when people pay respects to their ancestors. This article will look at events and natural phenomena in the period roughly from March 21 to April 4. March 21, known as Nowruz, is also celebrated at the start of the new year in the Iranian calendar. The sun rises due east and sets due west, and day and night are the same length.
It falls around March 21 on the modern calendar, and is a national holiday.
Shunbun, the spring equinox, is a major juncture among Japan’s 24 solar terms.
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