Obon · Worksheet 1
A Summer Visit from Home: Obon in Japan
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1In the middle of August, many Japanese homes have strange little animals on the family altar. One is a cucumber with four legs made of sticks. Next to it stands an eggplant with legs, too. They are a horse and a cow for the spirits of the family's dead.
2This is Obon, a Buddhist summer festival for ancestors. People believe the spirits of their family come home for a few days. The fast cucumber horse brings them home quickly. The slow eggplant cow takes them back slowly, so they can stay longer.
3In most places, Obon lasts from August 13 to 16. On the first evening, families light a small fire at the gate to welcome the spirits. They clean the family grave and offer food, flowers, and incense. On the last evening, they light another fire to send the spirits back.
4Obon is also a time for dancing. At night, people in light summer kimono dance in a big circle around a tall wooden stage. A drummer plays on top of the stage. In Kyoto, on the night of August 16, five giant fires burn on the mountains to say goodbye to the spirits.
5Obon is not a national holiday, but many companies close for a few days. Many people go back to their hometowns, so trains and roads are packed. In parts of Tokyo, families hold Obon in July, and Okinawa still follows the old moon calendar. But the idea is the same everywhere. For a few summer days, the people we miss come home.
- ancestor 先祖
- spirit 霊、魂
- altar 祭壇、仏壇
- Buddhist 仏教の／仏教徒
- grave 墓
- incense 線香、お香
- offer 供える、差し出す
- welcome 迎える、歓迎する
- gate 門、門口
- packed ぎゅうぎゅうの、満員の
- hometown ふるさと
- calendar 暦、カレンダー