Boys' Day - Children's Day (Kodomo no hi), Tango no sekku

A holiday for real men: Boys' Day in Japan May 05, 2012, 00:00 | Galina Zamyslova

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How to raise a real man? Mothers of sons ask this question. They know in Japan how to raise a boy to be strong, brave and courageous, instilling these qualities in their sons from early childhood. Japanese boys know what a man should be thanks to the wonderful holiday - Tango no sekku or Shobu no sekku , which is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month according to the lunar calendar.

Tango no sekku (Horse First Day Festival) is the first name of the holiday: the horse in Japan is a symbol of courage, bravery and courage, qualities that a real warrior should have. The second is Shobu no sekku (Iris Festival), a symbol of success and health, and the iris leaves resemble a sword.

Initially, the holiday was associated with spring field work, rituals dedicated to the future harvest, the well-being and health of the family. On this day, they began to collect medicinal herbs, and the emperor himself did this together with his subjects. Multi-colored flags and scarecrows were placed in the fields to protect the future harvest. Houses were decorated for the holiday, scattering iris leaves at the threshold, putting up poles with tied amulets. The nobility displayed spears, halberds and family banners in front of their houses. On the tango no sekku , various competitions were organized to instill in the boys the samurai spirit, strength, and agility: sumo wrestling, archery, sword fighting, and mandatory equestrian competitions.

The common class was forbidden to keep military paraphernalia at home, but the people adapted - such a holiday should be for everyone! A beautiful custom has still been preserved: koi-nobori - multi-colored carp banners flutter at every house where there are sons. The more boys, the more elegant the house and the older, the longer. Carp in Japan is a symbol of courage, perseverance and perseverance.

Many interesting customs are associated with the second name of the holiday - Shobu no sekku (Iris Day). The beginning of May is the height of the blooming of these amazing flowers. In Japan there is a ceremony of admiring irises, of which more than a thousand varieties have been bred!

On this day, Japanese houses are decorated with compositions of irises, boxes with flowers are placed in front of the house and they take a bath with green leaves, decorate clothes and hairstyles. Iris is considered a healing plant: the leaves were strung on a thread and placed in a special kusuridama to protect against colds and... sinful acts. In the old days, officials wore wigs made of iris leaves, and boys competed to see who could throw the iris leaves the hardest.

Starting from the Edo period, the Tango no sekku festival became the ancestral holiday of the samurai nobility. Toy armor, weapons, and battle banners were put on display—only members of samurai families could have them. On this day, boys from noble families took shobu-yu - a bath with iris flowers.

As on the Girls' Day, home exhibitions of warrior figures and their weapons were organized.

Togatsu ningyo - a set of special dolls on two or three shelves covered with green cloth:

upper tier - helmet and armor, poles with flags with the coat of arms of the clan or family
middle tier - swords, drums, fans, sake bottles, traditional treats and two vases with irises.
lower tier - dolls: a young warrior or a child before the first battle, a fighter against demons and a hero, figurines of a horse and a white tiger.

Many of the warrior dolls are real characters: Empress Jingu in men's clothing, famous for her campaign in Korea and her first minister Takenouchi no Sukune, who allegedly lived 300 years, Momotaro - the hero of children's fairy tales, born from a peach, Emperor Jimmu, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Yoshitsune. Dolls should remind boys that they must grow up to be brave, strong, faithful to duty and honor.

In honor of Boys' Day, Japanese families prepare a special treat:

timaki (symbol of health and resilience) - rice balls wrapped in iris or bamboo leaves;
kashiwa-mochi (symbol of longevity) - rice wrapped in oak leaves;
sekihan (symbol of health) - rice cooked with red beans.

Tango no sekku is a holiday for boys who are under 15 years old, they are given gifts - figurines of warriors or just toys. They fly kites with their parents, learn the story of each character in their toy display, and try on armor. The boys' holiday has remained unchanged for centuries, to pass on from generation to generation the traditions and spirit of the Japanese warriors, to instill courage, loyalty and bravery in their sons.

Although we do not live in Japan and, alas, we do not have such a holiday, today we can pay a little more attention to our boys - go on a small hike with them, teach them how to light a fire, set up a tent and talk about our traditions and military glory, give them an unplanned gift. present. Boys grow up so fast...

Galina Zamyslova , iledebeaute.ru

Air and wishing the boys success

The fifth day of the fifth moon, Tango no Sekku, the First Day of the Horse Festival, is celebrated in China and Taiwan. Of the five seasonal festivals, sekku (seventh day of the first moon, third day of the third moon, fifth day of the fifth moon, seventh day of the seventh moon, ninth day of the ninth moon), this day is considered the peak of luck.

Koi nobori carp

In Japan now this holiday, when they wish boys health and success in life, is celebrated on the fifth of May. Officially it is called Kodomo no hi, Children's Day, and is a national holiday.

The custom of scaring away evil forces in the fifth lunar month, which was considered especially dangerous, by covering the edges of roofs with medicinal herbs - calamus and wormwood yomogi, came to Japan from China back in the Nara period (710-794).

In Japan, the fifth month is the time for planting rice, and therefore Tango no sekku was celebrated as a festival of prayer for the harvest. The Japanese name for calamus, shobu, is pronounced the same as “fight, fight”, as well as the word “reverence for military affairs”, and starting from the Kamakura period (1192-1333) on the day of Tango no sekku, samurai houses began to pray for success sons, and later this day became a holiday.

Basic traditions

Young men under the age of 15 take part in the festival. The first rituals were dedicated to honoring and respecting Nature, and were carried out only in open space. Decorated scarecrows were displayed in the fields and rituals were held in which they asked for a rich harvest and prosperity for the family. Prayers were offered to plants, flowers, trees; it has long been believed that they contain real masculine strength and energy.

After some time, the concept of “fertility” moved to a new level of understanding. In addition to prosperity in agriculture, this term meant healthy offspring and children. During the Japanese boys' holiday, scarecrows were no longer placed in the fields, and their making became a real art. Now bright stuffed animals were used to decorate the facades of houses and interiors.

Military armor and carps as symbols of success

Kashiwamochi and timaki

The house and yard are traditionally decorated for this holiday. As samurai have done since the Kamakura period, armor or helmets, dolls dressed in armor (musha-ningyo, “samurai doll”), swords, etc. are placed in the house. Such decorations are designed to protect children from misfortunes - illnesses, accidents on the road .

Outside the house, hollow figures of koi nobori carp, made of fabric, are hung, which swell and flap in the wind. This custom originated among townspeople in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868) and comes from the Chinese belief that carp can climb upstream and over waterfalls, then through the “Dragon Gate” enter the sky and become dragons. Koi-nobori symbolize wishes for perseverance and success.

In many families, the first such holiday after the birth of a son is celebrated with special pomp, which is called hatsu-sekku, “first sekku.” On this holiday, treats that are believed to ward off bad luck are served: timaki, glutinous rice wrapped in a conical tube of bamboo leaves tied with thread, kashiwamochi, mochi rice cakes with an paste made from sweet anko beans, wrapped in oak leaves, and etc. In order to survive the coming hot summer in good health, they take baths with calamus and pray for health.

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Gifts and offerings

Previously, the most desired gift for young warriors was children's weapons and armor. History has preserved several miniature sets of weapons intended as gifts to the sons of rulers.

Now the tradition has changed, and special “musya-ninge” dolls in the form of boys in armor are displayed for the holiday. As a rule, these dolls wear scarlet “o-yoroi” armor; in the Japanese poetic tradition, this is an attribute of a warrior who goes to his first battle. Warrior dolls often depict specific historical characters or heroes of children's fairy tales. Popular motifs: Minamoto Yoshitsune, who in his youth defeated the formidable monk Benkei with one blow of a fan, or the fairy-tale hero Kintaro, a child strongman.

Sometimes, instead of a warrior figurine, toy samurai kabuto helmets, small swords, medieval war drums, and fans are displayed.

On this day, it is customary to serve “chimaki,” a sweet rice treat wrapped in toffee leaves. This dish is a wish for resilience and health. The origin of “chimaki” is also connected with samurai culture: in ancient times, rice wrapped in leaves was thrown into the water so that the fish would not touch the bodies of warriors killed in sea battles.

Now Children's Day is a public holiday. In many parts of the country, festive events are held, and giant carp flags, sometimes more than ten meters long, are hung on the banks of rivers.

“The bathhouse school is organizing a camp, would you like to go there?”

In May 2021, during a short visit to Moscow, President Yoichi Nebata, who is spreading Russian bathhouse culture in Japan, asked me this question. Banya is a Russian-style sauna. In Japan, the sauna is usually associated with Finland. Nevertheless, in Russia the bathhouse culture is not inferior to the Finnish one, and there are even schools where you can learn how to properly enjoy the bathhouse.

The cost of staying at the camp is 22 thousand rubles (about 35 thousand yen) for three days and two nights. For the Japanese this is not too much payment, but if you take into account the level of salaries in Russia (especially in the regions), including travel to Moscow, then for some Russians this is equivalent to a month’s salary.

Despite the high cost of education, people come to the bathhouse school not only from Moscow, but also from all over Russia, and sometimes even from abroad.

I suddenly became very curious about who and for what purpose spends such a large amount to go to study. In Japan, I often go to the sauna, but no one has ever told me how to use it properly. Therefore, I decided to take this opportunity and go to the sauna camp.

Mid-May, around five o'clock in the evening. Nebata and I went to school, located 150 kilometers south of the center of Moscow, by taxi. Sergey (from central Russia) and Alexander (from the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in the Arctic) also traveled with us. They flew in specifically to visit the sauna camp. Due to traffic jams in Moscow, the journey to school took about three and a half hours.

Very clean air and silence. It was hard to believe that we were in the Moscow region. There was nothing around except the church and the gazebo. The countryside stretched before my eyes, conveying the atmosphere of 19th century Russia.

We were met by assistant manager Marina. She is a real sauna lover and has been working at the school for several years. A lavish table was set inside the building. As they say, “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” A bathhouse is a process through which we become healthier both physically and psychologically. They serve a lot of local fruits and vegetables, as well as honey from their own apiary. The first day at camp ended with a sumptuous dinner.

First, a lecture on the structure of the human body

The next day classes began. Teacher - Vasily Lyakhov. He is a bathhouse veteran; I have been associated with her for 36 years. They say that some of those who visited the bathhouse under his leadership not only sweated, but even cried.

On the first day of classes there were mainly lectures, which were given exclusively in Russian. Before going to the bathhouse school, I thought that we would learn the art of using a broom (which is made from oak or birch branches). Hitting each other's bodies with brooms is one of the main features of the Russian bathhouse culture. In Finland it is called "vihta". Surprisingly, at the sauna camp we were first introduced to the structure of the human body. The idea is that if you want to please a person, you first need to understand the physical structure.

In Japan, people usually steam for no more than an hour, but in Russia they can spend two to three hours or even more in a bathhouse. After the steam room, they usually plunge into a cold water plunge pool or pool, and after a short rest they go outside to relax. Then they have a snack or drink a cup of tea and go back to the steam room. This cycle is repeated about three times.

In addition, in Japan, a sauna is usually enjoyed in silence and alone, but as a rule, people do not go to a Russian bath alone. For Russians, the point of a sauna is not to sweat in a steam room, but to communicate with friends and deepen friendships.

It's not just about being in the steam room itself, but also about how you spend your time before and after it. If you only know how to wave a broom, this does not mean that you understand the bathhouse. As Lyakhov said, “The bathhouse is my life.”

After several unusual lectures on the structure of the human body, we gradually moved on to discussing technology. We split into pairs and learned to use a broom.

“A broom is not a tool for striking, but for working with water vapor in a steam room. Therefore, take this into account when handling a broom,” says Lyakhov. I didn’t see the couples, so I simply imitated the movements of the mentor, but Marina reprimanded me, saying that it was wrong: “You don’t see it yet. You don’t see the couples.” Feeling like a Zen monk, I worked furiously with my hands.

Finally in the bathhouse

After much training, we finally went to the bathhouse. Together with other participants, we were squeezed into a room the size of a small room. When you pour water on the stones of a brick oven, well heated with wood, such voluminous steam rises that it seems you can touch it. I finally saw the steam that I couldn't see before. Lyakhov lowered it with a large fan, and it was absorbed into the pine and birch branches hanging in the steam room, filling the room with a woody aroma.

Lyakhov kept asking those present: “Is it delicious? Tasty?". Here the air is the treat. Everyone answered: “Very tasty!” An amazing sight.

The temperature in the steam room was about 50 degrees, that is, it was not too hot, so we could stay there for a very long time. From time to time I went outside to drink water and then returned back. By repeating this process, you gradually begin to feel that you are warming up to the bones.

After about an hour and a half, I went outside to get some fresh air, and although it was still cool outside - about 10 degrees, I didn’t feel any discomfort at all. There is silent silence all around. It was as if I had completely shut myself off from the outside world. I found myself in such a state for the first time in my life. It looks like they didn’t lie to me when they told me that someone not only sweated, but also cried.

The third day began with morning exercises and deeper training in the technique of using a broom, which Lyakhov himself developed. I can’t say that I’m in bad physical shape, but it was not easy for me to handle the broom. Almost crying, I repeated combinations that seemed contradictory to me - you need to use the whole body, but at the same time not make unnecessary movements. If you do not master this, you will not be allowed to take the final exam.

And finally, the final exam itself. Under the leadership of Lyakhov, we had to steam our partner in the bathhouse. I forgot some important steps and was reprimanded, but in the end Lyakhov was satisfied.

Similarities between baths and tea ceremony

Why do Russians spend so much money to learn the art of bathing? After three days at the camp, I remembered the Japanese tea ceremony. In Japan, during the Sengoku (Warring States) era, a teahouse was a meeting place for opponents. The tea room was cramped to make it difficult for opponents to draw their swords, and the dishes were washed in front of the guests so that it was impossible to add poison there.

Thus, in a space that was both psychologically and practically safe, interlocutors could discuss matters openly, valuing relationships that went beyond status. And sometimes, in order to calm down and move away from the warnings of their subordinates, the feudal lords would retire to a small room and conduct an internal dialogue to achieve spiritual enlightenment. The teahouse was a place where one could find a moment of peace in the routine of war.

In Russia, the bathhouse is used in a similar way. This is an ideal place to come with trusted friends and strengthen friendships. There is a Russian proverb: “There are no generals in the bathhouse,” that is, there is no hierarchy there. You undress, you don't have a weapon, and all visitors are equal. Therefore, you can talk to each other openly and honestly.

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin was also a big fan of the bathhouse. There he used to make important decisions with those around him. There was even an idea to hold a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto in the bathhouse in 1997. At the time, Japanese media called it "bathhouse diplomacy."

Today, the sauna is popular in Japan among company executives. Perhaps the basis of this boom is the desire to return to normal, equal human relations.

WeChat 10/02/2021 The Telegraph UK 08/22/2021 Dagens Nyheter 06/18/2021

By the way, as you may have already understood, the Russian bath differs from the Japanese ideas about the sauna. As for the Japanese boom, the unique sensation that arises when alternating a bath with an ice plunge is called “bringing the soul and body in order.” However, according to Lyakhov, this is not very good. Temperature contrast is important, but if repeated too much, it can be detrimental to a beginner's health.

Hedonism in the bathhouse is not encouraged. After the steam room you should drink warm water, not cold. This is due to the fact that if you fill your stomach with cold water, the body will devote energy to warming it up, which will cause fatigue. At the camp we were also introduced to other rules, and they were all based on medicine and Lyakhov’s own experience.

“In the past, the bathhouse was very close to the Russians. People went there on a regular basis, and anyone could handle a broom. But as modernization progressed, bath culture became a thing of the past. In the Finnish dry sauna, which appeared in Russia during the modernization process, the temperature is too high to stay in for a long time. Meanwhile, in a traditional Russian bath there is a lower temperature - 40 - 60 degrees - and higher humidity. I want to return the lost culture of Russia by reviving the bathhouse, which was the heart of Russian culture,” emphasizes Lyakhov.

However, he continues: “This does not mean a return to the 19th century. On the contrary, human life has become better thanks to electricity and gas. Therefore, you should always be open to new things.”

He argues that we can be happier through the active use of science and technology.

The Russian Revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century and the collapse of the USSR at its end fundamentally changed the good old Russian culture. It is difficult to revive something that is lost.

The fact is that the most difficult thing to convey is not the object, but its spirit. I saw strength in the eyes of Lyakhov, who was determined to revive the spiritual traditions of Russia through the bathhouse. It seemed to me that in the thick steam I saw the entire depth of the Russian spirit.

***

Yuki Tokunaga, a graduate student at the Hebrew University of Israel and an employee of a Japanese trading company. Born in July 1990. Graduated from Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics. Speaks Japanese, English and Russian.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.