Children's Day · Worksheet 1
Fish in the Sky
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1In early May, you may see big fish flying in the sky over Japan. They are not real fish. They are koinobori, carp streamers made of cloth. They fly for May 5, Kodomo no Hi, or Children's Day. Some are small enough for a balcony, and some are longer than a swimming pool.
2This day has two sides. It is an old festival called Tango no Sekku, and since 1948, it has also been a national holiday. In the old festival, families prayed for their sons to grow up healthy and strong. They put up carp streamers outside and set samurai helmets inside the house.
3Why a carp? An old Chinese story says that a carp swam up a great waterfall and turned into a dragon. So the carp became a sign of a strong child with a bright future. At first, people flew only one black carp. Red and blue ones came much later.
4The holiday law of 1948 says the day is for all children, not only boys. It also says something surprising. Children's Day is a day to thank mothers, too. Children also helped to make the holiday. In 1948, about 27,000 children in Kobe signed a letter that asked for it.
5On this day, many families eat kashiwa mochi, a sweet rice cake wrapped in an oak leaf. At night, some people take a bath with long green shobu leaves. The leaves smell fresh, and people say they keep bad luck away. It is a day full of wishes for children to grow up happy.
- carp 鯉
- streamer 吹き流し、長い旗
- cloth 布
- festival 祭り
- pray 祈る、願う
- helmet かぶと、ヘルメット
- waterfall 滝
- dragon 竜
- sign しるし、象徴
- oak オーク、柏・ナラの仲間
- wrap 包む
- bad luck 不運、悪いこと