On November 15 or the week that includes November 15, everywhere in Japan you can see incredibly charming kids dressed in bright kimonos, rushing with their mom-dads-grandparents to the nearest temple, because these days everyone’s favorite ancient Japanese holiday is celebrated Shichi -Go-San (Japanese). 王三). The translation of the name is incredibly simple: City — is seven, Go — is five, San — is three.
This children's holiday, whose history goes back more than 300 years, can be called the common birthday of all children who turned 3, 5 or 7 years old this year. These odd numbers have been considered magical in Japan since ancient times, and their corresponding ages reflected important, turning points in the growing up of children.
The Shichi-Go-San festival is accompanied by many traditional rituals and traditions. One of the ancient and important rituals for boys and girls who have reached the age of three was considered to be the kamioka ritual — « hair saving». In ancient Japan, in early childhood, children were shaved bald so that they would later grow long, beautiful hair, which was always rightly considered a source of pride for the Japanese. By kamioka day, the boys' hair was grown so that it could be tied at the back of the head, and the girls were tied with tufts of hair on the sides.
Also in the Middle Ages, in aristocratic families, boys at the age of three were dressed for the first time in hakama — traditional men's clothing in the form of wide trousers with folds. Later, this ritual began to be carried out at the age of five; it was at this age that samurai introduced children to their feudal lords, introducing them into the circle of adults.
For girls, the age of seven is more important, since on this day they are tied for the first time with a «adult» belt for kimono — obi. This ritual, called obi-toki («belt change»), symbolizes growing up, since on this day the girl dresses like an adult woman for the first time in her life.
In general, the age of seven years in Japan is considered the most important stage in the maturation of a little person — previously, people in Japan believed that with the birth of a child, the celestial being itself, or its messenger, moves into the house, and that until the age of seven, a child — is not a simple person, but a divine creation.
This belief explains the overly lenient, at first glance, attitude that Japanese parents show towards their young children, unconditionally indulging in any of their pranks and whims. Few other small children are as spoiled as in Japan. However, when a child reaches the age of seven, the attitude towards him changes, since from that time on he is believed to turn into an ordinary person, and the cloudless years of a happy and serene youth are replaced by a period of demanding and harsh upbringing. But on the holiday of City-Go-San, children — are little rulers.
Parents have always taken care of making this holiday memorable and bright in their child’s life. The main solemn custom of the — festival is visiting the temple: parents bring festively dressed boys of three and five years old and girls of three and seven years old to the Shinto temple to thank the gods for the fact that the children grew up healthy and happy.