Shunbun no Hi (Vernal Equinox in Japan)
- Kimberly Sun
- 3月20日
- 読了時間: 4分
The winter cold melts away and spring peaks its way through to welcome new life and a new year for Japan. Out with the old and in with the new. To welcome spring, Japan celebrates Shunbun no Hi (春分の日) also known as Vernal Equinox, or even simpler, Spring Equinox.
What is Shunbun no Hi?
Shunbun no Hi is a national holiday in Japan that welcomes spring and new beginnings. Shunbun no Hi which lands around March 20th or 21st depending on astronomical calculations when the sun intersects the equator making the time of day and night almost equal in length and continues to move north. It also officially welcomes spring in the Northern Hemisphere and where the days are slowly getting warmer and flowers are blooming. Finally saying goodbye to winter for the year. Until next time.
What people do during Shunbun no Hi?
In the past, this day was used to practice and deepen one’s belief in Buddhism where Buddhist took a week to reflect and reassess themselves and their practice. Nowadays, since many eventful events surround this time, many people in Japan have associated this holiday with nature and life.
1: Graduation: One event that surrounds this holiday is school graduation. Many students all over Japan celebrate the end of their school year and celebrate getting ready for a new journey; whether it is a new grade, a new school, a new job, or a new home. Many older students plan group trips to spend their last youthful days together to remember their friendship as they start to go down different paths towards their future.
2: Blossom viewings: To enjoy the surroundings of spring, many people take the time to walk around their neighborhood, parks, or even search for the best place to appreciate the coming of spring. One of the biggest sightings would be looking for cherry blossoms. Since cherry blossoms are a big symbol of Japan and spring, many people travel all over Japan to find the most beautiful cherry blossoms they can find. But cherry blossoms are not the only flower during this season that blooms. There are various other popular flowers you should check out during this time, like the Mangolias.
Magnolias are also known to farmers in Japan as the “tilling cherry blossoms” as the first blooms of the flower give farmers the queue that they need to prepare their fields so they can start planting rice.
3. Cleaning graves: Some people pay homage to their ancestors by going to their graves and cleaning it up so that even those not physically with us anymore are able to start the new year in a clean and loving new start. There are various steps one does to clean the family alter. After cleaning their ancestor’s tombstones, they would also offer fresh flowers and food, often botamochi, which is mochi covered in red bean paste.
4. Eating various seasonal foods: Many people love to eat various seasonal foods and the spring season offers various things for people to try.
If you have not heard of botan mochi, you might have heard of ohagi, which is also mochi covered in red bean paste. Both botan mochi and ohagi are essentially the same item. A small difference is that botan mochi is usually made with smooth red bean paste, while ohagi is made with chunky bean paste. Another difference is the season it is served in. Ohagi is served during the fall equinox and represents and named after the hagi flower; bush clover, while botan mochi is served during the spring equinox and is named after the botan flower; peony.
There are also various spring vegetables that Japan has to offer during this bountiful season. Bamboo shoots and wild greens can be found in the wild where many people like to harvest for themselves and make a delicious dish with them like tempura or even a simmered dish.
Another sweet treat that is usually enjoyed while viewing cherry blossoms are the Sakura mochis where mochi wrapped in a salted Sakura leaf. The leaf gives the mochi a faint Sakura smell and taste. A light delicacy that screams Spring to those who eat it. Sakura mochi has two different versions; a Kanto style and a Kansai style. The Kato style Sakura mochi is made with a wheat flour wrapping stuffed with red beans, while the Kansai version is made with rice cake and stuffed with red beans. If you enjoy cherry blossom flavors, both versions are good to try so you can choose which one you enjoy more.
What should you do?
Well, basically it is up to you how you would like to spend your holidays. You can appreciate the season with flower viewing, you can pay a visit to your ancestors to give them a fresh start of the new year, you can eat delicious treats, or even congratulate those who are starting a new beginning. Spring has arrived and it is up to you how you would like to spend this season.
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