Drawings Featuring Koinobori - Praying for Your Health and Happiness

Golden Week is almost over in Japan, but before it ends, there’s one last national holiday to celebrate: Children’s Day! Kodomo no hi, also known as Children’s Day or traditionally Tango no Sekku, is celebrated on the 5th of May each year. On this day, families fly carp-shaped windsocks called koinobori (鯉のぼり, lit. “carp streamers”) in honor of children and to celebrate their happiness. Koinobori are commonly flown above the roofs of households with children, with the largest carp in black representing the father, the red and second biggest carp the mother, and additional smaller carps of different colors the children, from eldest to youngest.

And of course, we can’t forget the food! Families also eat kashiwa mochi (sticky rice cakes filled with red bean paste wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki (sticky rice wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf) for good luck in the hopes that they’ll grow up healthy and strong.

Do you have any similar traditions in your culture? If you have any children or youngsters in your life, we hope you have a wonderful day with them today!