Hurray for Holidays

We are headed into Golden Week, which is a series of holidays spread out over the week. There is the Carp Streamer Festival. This festival is rather self-explanatory. People hang thousands of beautiful carp streamers along the river. Mine are ready to hang out on my porch. If I get a good explanation of what they mean, I’ll pass it on to you all. Next, we’ve got the Big Kite Festival – not meaning a large festival with lots of kites but a festival with a few VERY LARGE kites. I’m told the kites measure 20 feet by 20 feet or so. All week there will be parades and exhibitions of traditional dancing, synchronized exercising and music. The parades will have scores of drum teams. The schools have been practicing their synchronized exercising on the fields near our house. They seem to take it all very seriously and want to do their best; I couldn’t imagine American kids putting for the effort these kids do for an exhibition. I love Japanese holidays and plan to take in every parade and exhibition I can.

There is a 5K run on Saturday. I have noticed that, in spite of the almost fanatic mass behavior, the Japanese love to compete in individual sporting events and be the best. It’s almost as if they cannot be exceptional or an individual in their every day lives because it would inconvenience those around them, but in a sporting event, they can cut lose.

The Japanese seem to enjoy holidays, especially if the holiday involves dressing up or decorating. They totally throw themselves into the spirit of the occasion. It doesn’t even have to be a Japanese holiday.

Last week I saw countless schoolgirls riding the trains with bunny-ears on. Our community had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday for all of the kids. They had a great time, even though most of them had no idea exactly why all of these plastic eggs were hidden in the grass; once they figured out they got to keep them and there was candy inside, it was pandemonium in the park. The Bunny himself made a special appearance.

Christmas was the same way. Since so few Japanese folks are Christian, I don’t think many get the more spiritual aspects of the season, but they enjoy the commercial side and try really hard. My loved one took us to a huge mall the week before Christmas that was decorated to the nines. I have NEVER seen a more gorgeous retail space. All of the signs said, “Celebrate Saint Christmas at Odaiba.” Everywhere there were Christmas decorations and everyone was saying, “Happy Christmas!” I had worried we would miss out on Christmas because we were so far from home, but it was a truly joyous time. (I got the best gift ever, too – a ski trip with my family and a secret).

Some of our Japanese neighbors even had a go at Thanksgiving (the feasting part). Though the idea of the turkey is a tough one for most Japanese. Because the apartments are small, the kitchens are small, the refrigerators are small, the stoves are more like toaster ovens and hotplates. There is simply no way for the average Japanese to cook a whole chicken or duck much less 15-pound turkey. A Japanese friend described the first time she saw a Thanksgiving turkey at an American friend’s house. She was stunned and knew none of her family or Japanese friends would believe it, so she took pictures of it next to reference items like tomatoes and wine bottles.

Halloween was a huge success here. I had hundreds of kids in the 3-hour designated trick or treat time (and not one even one minute after). I had all of our decorations up, which I had brought from home, and spooky noises on the stereo. They were all dressed up like small animals or anime characters and so very cute. Many said trick or treat or thank you in English.

Happy Holidays!