Holidays and Events in March and April

Q. これは なんですか？= What is this?

 
(photo: http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa022501a.htm)

A. これは、ひな人形（にんぎょう）です。= This is Hina-ningyoo (Hina-dolls).
３月（がつ）３日（か）は ひなまつり です。= March 3 is Hina-matsuri (Doll Festival or Girls' Festival)
ひなまつりは、おんなのこの おまつりです。= Hina-matsuri is a festival for girls.

Would you like to know more about Hina-matsuri?
Click this! http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/march/hinamatsuri.html

ひなまつりのアニメ
サザエさん（You Tube）「ボクたちの ひなまつり」
 

月と月のイベント
Holidays and Events in March and April (a previous post in this blog)
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/takakojapaneseclass/e/f950ab8429b13f9b6317eca95bd66176

日本（にほん）のバレンタインデー（Valentine's Day in Japan）

2月（がつ）14日（っか）は、バレンタインデーでしたね！
日本（にほん）のバレンタインデーは、アメリカのバレンタインデーと、ちょっと 違（ちが）います。(= Valentine's day in Japan is a bit different from American one.)

1) How do Japanese people celebrate Valentine's day?
Valentine's Day (February 14) in Japan is basically the day for women to give men chocolates or gifts. This is how Valentine's Day is celebrated in Japan and attractively packaged chocolates are widely sold at stores in Japan before Valentine's Day. Women are expressing love to men by giving chocolates on Valentine's Day. But it's also common for women to give chocolates to men who they don't actually love, such as co-workers and friends. This kind of chocolates are called giri-choco which mean chocolates given because of obligations. Japanese women commonly buy many giri-choco.
Men who received chocolates or gifts on Valentine's Day are supposed to give gifts back to the women on March 14th called White Day. Gifts for White Day vary but they are usually sweets, such as candies and cookies.
(from: http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japaneseholidays/a/valentineday.htm)

2) Vocabulary
- バレンタインデー = Valentine's day
- ホワイトデー = White day
- 本命（ほんめい）チョコ = Honmei choco ("true feeling chocolate")
- 義理（ぎり）チョコ = Giri choco ("obligation chocolate")

3) Animation about Valentine's day
- アンパンマン「ドキンちゃんのバレンタインデー」


4) Famous love song in Japan
- "Love Love Love" by Dreams Come True (You Tube)


Please enjoy them!

さっぽろ雪（ゆき）まつり -Sapporo snow festival-

きのう、ブルーミントンは 雪（ゆき）でしたね。(It was snowing in Bloomington yesterday.)
きょうは、さっぽろ雪（ゆき）まつりを  しょうかいします。(Today, I'll introduce Sapporo snow festival.)

さっぽろ雪（ゆき）まつり -Sapporo snow festival-

(photo: from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5311.html)
The northernmost of Japan's four main islands is called ほっかいどう(Hokkaido).  There, Japan's biggest snow festival is held in the city of Sapporo, famous for hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics.  The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950, when high school students built a few snow statues in Odori Park.  It has since developed into a large, commercialized event, featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world.

（参考：Reference）
- Kids web japan http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/february/snow.html
- japan-guide.com http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5311.html
- Official website in English http://www.snowfes.com/english/index.html

ではまた！

2月（にがつ）3日（みっか）は節分（せつぶん）です。

Setsubun ("seasonal division") is a festival held on February 3, one day before the start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar. Setsubun is not a national holiday.  For many centuries, the people of Japan have been performing rituals with the purpose of chasing away evil spirits at the start of spring.

In modern days, the most commonly performed setsubun ritual is the throwing of roasted beans around one's house and at temples and shrines across the country. When throwing the beans, you are supposed to shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Devils out, happiness in"). Afterwards you should pick up and eat the number of beans, which corresponds to your age.

As all traditional festivals, setsubun is celebrated in many variations throughout the country.
(from: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2285.html)

★ペーパークラフト(paper craft)★
これは おにの おめんです。(These are devils' masks.)

http://paperm.jp/craft/eventgoods/setsubun/index.html

★アニメ(anime)★ 
アンパンマン「おにのパンツ= Devil's underwear」

Holidays and Events in January and February

Q. How can we say "Happy New Year!" in Japanese?

A. 「あけまして おめでとう ございます！」

↓これは「おせちりょうり」です。 = These are Osechi, traditional Japanese New Year foods.
(Photo: from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_Osechi.jpg)
The dishes that make up osechi each have a special meaning celebrating the New Year.
More about Osechi?  ----->  Wikipedia: Osechi
What is Japanese new year like? ----> Wikipedia: Japanese New Year

January
- 元日（がんじつ）New Year's Day (January 1) 
- 初夢（はつゆめ）Lucky Dreams (January 2)
- だるま市（だるまいち）Daruma fair (January 6-7)
- 春の七草（はるの ななくさ）The Seven Herbs of Spring (January 7)
- 成人の日（せいじんの ひ）Coming-of-Age Day (Second Monday of January)
- 出初式（でぞめしき）The New Year's Parade of Fire Brigades (Early in the month)
- 鏡開き（かがみびらき）Partaking of Decorative Mochi (January 11)
- 七福神巡り（しちふくじん めぐり）Paying Your Respects to the Seven Deities of Good Fortune (Middle of the month)

February
- 節分と豆まき（せつぶんと まめまき）Setsubun and Bean-Throwing (February 3 or 4)
- 立春（りっしゅん）Risshun (February 4 or 5)
- 札幌雪祭り（さっぽろ ゆきまつり）Sapporo Snow Festival (Early in the month)
- 建国記念日（けんこくきねんび）National Foundation Day (February 11)

(from: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/)