Children's Day - Why didn't we think of that?

The Japanese have the right idea and celebrate kids in style. Mark your calendar for May 5th! It’s Children’s’ Day in Japan! Why didn’t WE think of that?

Children's Day, “Kodomo no hi”, has been a Japanese holiday for 50 years. It’s a day full of festivities focusing on kids’ health, bravery and strength. On this day children display samurai swords and Kintarō dolls. Children take syobuyu (a bath with a bunch of floating iris leaves), and eat kashiwa-mochi (a rice cake wrapped in an oak leaf ) and chimaki (a dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves). Samurai, irises, oak trees, and bamboo all symbolize strength.

Families also hang colorful carp kites, called Koi-Nobori outside their houses on a bamboo pole. The kites fill with wind and seem to swim in the air. In Japanese culture, the carp (or koi) represents courage and perseverance. Koi live a long time and must swim against the current upstream. In some houses, a carp is flown for each family member with the father's being the largest at the top down to the youngest child's at the bottom.

If you’d like to earn some KenYen follow the directions on how to make your own carp kite.