Daily Archives: May 5, 2018
One of the most popular holidays in Japan, Kodomo-no-hi or Children’s Day is celebrate on May 5th. Though it is called Children’s Day today, this holiday is celebrated as “Boy’s Day”. The fifth day of the fifth month is traditionally called Tango no Sekku. Girls have their own festival, called Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), held on the third day of the third month.
On Kodomo-no-hi families drive bad spirits away and celebrate the prospects of their son’s future. Warrior samurai dolls are put on display in the home.
Koinobori, carp streamers, are flown on flagpoles and from balconies. The carp was chosen because it symbolizes strength and success; according to a Chinese legend, a carp swam upstream to become a dragon. In recent years, as more people have moved into apartments and smaller houses, the carp streamers have also gotten smaller, and there are now miniature versions that are decorated indoors.
Children participate in syobuyu, an ancient ritual, by taking a baths in which the water is sprinkled with iris leaves and roots. This is because the iris is thought to promote good health and ward off evil. Also on this day, families often take Rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves and filled with sweet bean paste, called kashiwamochi, are also eaten.
All these figures: the carp, the samurai, irises, oak trees, and bamboos symbolize strength and courage.
Sources:
People in the United States dedicate the first Sunday in May to commemorating the Humane Society, which was established to prevent cruelty to animals. Numerous organizations schedule fund-raising events today and extend compassion to both animals and people, in keeping with the festivities.
If you have the means, adopt an animal today or make a small donation to the Humane Society in your area so they can continue their work.
Back up your actions spiritually with this spell for animal welfare:
Gather any pictures of endangered species you can find. Put them insize a Ziploc bag while visualizing the white light of protection surrounding each. As you close the bag say:
Protected by Poluknalai’s command,
these creatures are safe across the land.
Sealed with love and magick within,
by my will this spell begins.
As long as the bag remains sealed and safe, it will continue generating protective magick for those animals.
Source: 365 Goddess
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