Culture Capsules: ESL Student Writing Project

ISALC: ESL 382: Computer Applications

Culture Capsules: People, Places, and Processes

Makiko Kurosaki and Joy Tsai

Since I was a child, I have liked Bon-Festival because it is joyful and exciting day for me. Every summer my family goes to Toyama prefecture where graves (1) of our ancestors are located. We visit our ancestor’s graves and all relatives get together after a long time. During this time many Japanese take a holiday and go back to their home and show other families how well they are doing, Visiting ancestors’ graves and celebrating Bon-Festival seem very important to Japanese and has taken root in Japan.

In the first place, what is the Bon-Festival? It is based on Buddhism and generally celebrated during the middle of July to August. In the past, people believed that only at this time, spirits of ancestor, relatives or friends who died in the past come to visit them from the iron pot in hell. People go to temples or visit ancestor’s grave, and have a service for people who passed away during the past year. Many Japanese light a lantern, and give some offerings such as sake, fruits, sweets and flowers to welcome their ancestor. We have also ‘Spirit Lanterns’ customs, which is called ‘ Shoryo-nagashi (2)(floating spirit lights)’ at the end of the Bon-Festival, people throw thousands of miniature lantern boats into a river. People thought our ancestral spirits could go back to the other world with these lantern boats. I have seen it several times, and I do not know how to explain how beautiful it was.

Another major point is Bon-Odori (3), which means Bon-Dance (4), a traditional Japanese dance. This is danced with also very Japanese traditional song, which is kind of slow tempo song. We make a circle and dace with specific form. This is very easy to dance if you remember once how to dance. Nowadays this is held separately from Bon-Festival; however, these are related deeply under the meaning. This Buddhist dance festival is celebrated for the ancestor to welcome them to our home and show our gratefulness toward them. These days people dance for fun, and this is held in every local community in summer. When we participate in this festival, most of the people wear Yukata, Kimono or happi that are very traditional clothes of Japan. In the past the color was based on white or dark blue, but nowadays most of them are colorful and a pattern is golden fish or flower and it is very beautiful. In that festival there are many street stalls, and at the end of the festival there are fireworks, too. Many children wait for this Bon-Odori festival, and I did wait, too.

In the summer time there are so many events in which we can feel Japanese tradition very closely. Bon-Festival is one of them. I believe this Bon festival reminds us of our ancestors or close relatives who have passed away. This has been very important thing for the Japanese, so we will hand down orally this tradition to the next generation.

Images;1)http://www.stonebridge.com/ash/Pages/obon.html

2)jin.jcic.or.jp/kidsweb/calendar/ august/bon.html

3)www.stonebridge.com/ ash/Pages/obon.html

4)jin.jcic.or.jp/access/music/

Websites; http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/ENG/Hiroshima/Festivals/50.html

http://www.sotozen-net.or.jp/kokusai/friends/zen11_1_02.html

http://www.hokuriku.ne.jp/miyake-s/english/culture.htm#2

http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Programs/Diversity/bonodori.html

http://www.sotozen-net.or.jp/kokusai/friends/zen11_1_02.html

http://www.marlamallett.com/kimono.htm

The Dragon Boat Festival in China
Joy Tsai

The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar. It is one of the three most important of the annual Chinese festivals. The other two are the Chinese New Year and the Mid- Autumn Festival. The summer is a time the diseases most easily spread; therefore, Dragon Boat Festival began as a time for driving off evil spirits and plague. People believe after the Dragon Boat Festival life will become more harmonious.

There is one very important factor for the origin of the festival. This is the legend of the patriot Chu Yuan. The story talks about Chu Yuan as a patriot poet and minister to the Chinese Emperor. At first he enjoyed the full confidence and respect of his monarch. Ultimately, however, his rivals plotted against him. Thus, no one could believe him at that time and he found himself discouraged. Chu Yuan was never able to get back his emperor’s trust and, from then on, he lost all his hope and decided to commit suicide on the fifth day of the fifth moon in the year 295 B.C., when he leaped into the Milo River, holding a heavy rock. The fisherman raced to the disastrous scene in their long, speedy boats in order to protect Chu Yuan’s body from destruction by fish. They splashed their oars to drive out the fish and they threw rice dumplings wrapped in leaves into the river to feed the fish. The rice dumpling is now called Tzung Tzu (1). Tzung Tzu is the most popular dish during the Dragon Boat Festival. The tradition of eating Tzung Tzu originally comes from this legend.

Another important activity in the Dragon Boat Festival is dragon boat racing (2), and the origin of this activity is also from this legend. Dragon boat racing involves competing teams driving their boats forward, rowing to the regularity of pounding drums. This lively and colorful tradition has continued unbroken from 2400 years ago until the present day.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a time to keep Taiwanese away from evil and disease. In order to steer clear of these things, people always hang calamus and moxa (3)on the front door, and paste up pictures of Chung Kuei (the name of evil spirits). Adults should drink hsiung huang wine and children should wear fragrant sachets (4) full of medicine to prevent evil and to bring peace. In Taiwan, there is a special custom called fetching noon water (5). People get water during the afternoon time, and we all believe the fetching water in the afternoon time can cure illness. Also if a person can exactly stand an egg on its end at 12:00 noon, it will bring this person good luck in the whole year.

The Dragon Boat Festival has the longest history of all of the major holidays in China. It is an entertaining and enjoyable event. It gives the people an opportunity to see a part of the rich Chinese culture.

Comparing and Contrasting:

Difference Between Two Festivals
Makiko Kurosaki & J oy Tsai

Every country has its own culture and its traditional holidays. These things have their own value to help people to know about their history; therefore, we should keep all these events. Do not abandon them! There are two holidays; one is from China called Dragon Boat Festival and another one is from Japan called Bon Festival. These holidays have some things in common but also have many differences between them.

There are two similarities between the Dragon Boat Festival and the Bon Festival. First of all, both of them have long history in their country and they are important holidays in China and Japan. Secondly, these events happen in the summer to celebrate summer is coming.

However, there are many differences than similarities between these two holidays. Dragon Boat Festival is from a legend told about Chu Yuan. In contrast Bon Festival is based on Buddhism. These holidays also differ in purpose. The Dragon Boat Festival is begun as a time for driving off evil spirits and plague. People believed that by celebrating this Festival their life would become more harmonious. On the other hand, Bon Festival has a totally different purpose. In the past, people believed that only at certain time, spirits of dead people come to visit them. This Festival is celebrated to welcome and show gratitude to the ancestors.

Another difference is what we do in both Festivals. In the Dragon Boat Festival there is one big activity, which is Dragon boat racing. In the Bon festival, we have a Bon dance festival. In addition, we wear special clothes or goods for these special days. In the Dragon Boat festival people take sachet with them during the festival because people believe that it protects them from some kinds of disease or evils. On the contrary, in the Bon festival, people wear very traditional clothes called Yukata or Kimono. There is no specific meaning for this, but people accept this as a matter of fact.

In conclusion, we found out many differences between Taiwanese Dragon boat festival and Japanese Bon festival such as the origin, purpose and activities; however we discovered also there are some similarities. Perhaps the most important thing that both holidays have in common is that any they are both very traditional and have a very long history in both countries. In addition, people care about these festivals and think they are very important in our culture.

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Created by: Makiko Kurosaki & Joy Tsai
Updated:7/25/02