{"id":5799,"date":"2020-05-04T11:50:54","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T15:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/?p=5799"},"modified":"2024-06-26T10:58:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T14:58:23","slug":"japan-make-a-koi-windsock-for-childrens-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/05\/japan-make-a-koi-windsock-for-childrens-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan: Make a Koi Windsock for Children\u2019s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Japanese
\nFirst, let\u2019s learn about Children\u2019s Day and how it is celebrated in Japan.<\/p>\n

What is Children\u2019s Day?<\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Traditionally, May 5 was called tango-no-sekku, <\/em>a festival to celebrate the health and safety of all Japanese people. On this day, people would use iris leaves to decorate their homes and themselves because it was believed the leaves would protect them from evil.<\/p>\n

Eventually, this day became known as Boy\u2019s Day, because the Japanese word for irises, shobu,<\/em> and the word that means \u201cimportance of martial arts\u201d sound the same. Also, iris leaves look like swords, which were associated with boys.<\/p>\n

In 1948, May 5 became a national holiday called Children\u2019s Day, Kodomo-no-hi. <\/em>It is a day to respect children\u2019s personalities, to celebrate their happiness and health, and also to appreciate their mothers.<\/p>\n

How Children\u2019s Day is Celebrated<\/h3>\n

On Children\u2019s Day, Kodomo-no-hi, <\/em>parents give their children presents, many special Japanese treats are eaten, children participate in parades, and koi windsocks called koi-nobori <\/em>are hung.<\/p>\n

\"Kashiwa-mochi\"One of the most popular treats for Children\u2019s Day is called kashiwa-mochi<\/em>. Kashiwa-mochi<\/em> is white as snow and delicious. It is a sweet bean paste inside of an oak leaf. It is said that oak trees, Kashiwa<\/em>, don\u2019t lose their leaves until new ones sprout, so kashiwa-mochi<\/em> represent having lots of children, longevity, and happiness. Because of its lucky meaning, many people in Japan eat kashiwa-mochi <\/em>on Children\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

Another treat is called kushi-dango<\/em>, which are three small round balls of mochi on a skewer. The colors used are green, because it looks like spring grass, white, resembling new snow, and pink because it is the color of cherry blossoms. Each color represents something good: green represents growth, white represents purity, and pink represents the cleansing of\u00a0 bad fortune.
\n\"Japanese<\/p>\n

Koi windsocks, koi-nobori, <\/em>are the most recognized part of the celebration. Families hang up the koi-nobori<\/em>, which is a streamer that looks like a carp. The koi-nobori<\/em> is used for children because it will make them determined and strong. The father is represented with a black koi-nobori<\/em>, the mother is represented with a red koi-nobori<\/em>, and the children are represented with koi-nobori<\/em> of multiple colors. \u00a0You can learn more about koi-nobori here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s make a koi-nobori<\/em><\/h3>\n

Here are two simple ways to make a koi windsock:<\/p>\n

Toilet roll koi-nobori <\/em>from the Chester Beatty Museum in Ireland.
\nYou will need:
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> Toilet paper roll
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> Construction paper or colored paper
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> Scissors
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> String
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> Glue
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> Glue brush
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2022<\/strong> Hole punch<\/p>\n