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B JapanEmbDC.JICC V japanembdc
F user/JICCDC O JICCDC
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spring equinoxm a r c h 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
TEACHING TUESDAY
March 20th marks this year’s Spring Equinox. In Japan this date is known as Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日, shunbun no hi). This day is celebrated in Japan with a seven-day holiday called higan (彼岸) which begins three days before the Equinox and ends three days after the 20th.
Higan marks the end of the chilly days of winter and the beginning of the warmth of spring. Similar to the famous obon, higan is marked with visits to family graves to pay respects to ancestors. Activities often include cleaning gravesites, offering flowers and incense, and having sutras read aloud by Buddhist priests.
Vernal Equinox Day also coincides with the end of the Japanese academic school year. Many schools across Japan hold their graduation ceremonies on this day and people often take this time off to enjoy a spring vacation. Vernal Equinox Day and the Japanese spring vacation are the perfect ways to anticipate the future and to pay respects to one’s family history.
