お彼岸(ひがん)

おひがん
noun
equinoctial week; higan
time-seasonreligion
See also: 彼岸(ひがん) (without お prefix)
1. equinoctial week; higan
A seven-day Buddhist memorial period centered on the spring and autumn equinoxes, when Japanese people traditionally visit family graves and make offerings to ancestors.
お彼岸(ひがん)に墓参(はかまい)りをする。
We visit the grave during higan.
春(はる)のお彼岸(ひがん)には牡丹餅(ぼたもち)を作(つく)る。
We make botamochi (rice cakes) for spring higan.
お彼岸(ひがん)の時期(じき)になると、スーパーに供(そな)え物(もの)が並(なら)ぶ。
When higan season comes, offerings are displayed at supermarkets.

The お is the usual polite prefix; 彼岸(ひがん) alone also means "the other shore", the Buddhist world beyond.

Types

  • 春(はる)のお彼岸(ひがん): the week around the spring equinox (about March 20)
  • 秋(あき)のお彼岸(ひがん): the week around the autumn equinox (about September 23)

Cultural note

Families visit and clean the family grave (墓参(はかまい)り) and make offerings. The sweet rice balls eaten at this time are called 牡丹餅(ぼたもち) in spring (after the peony) and おはぎ in autumn (after bush clover). The saying 暑(あつ)さ寒(さむ)さも彼岸(ひがん)まで means the summer heat and winter cold ease off by the equinox.

Related Words

Compare: お盆(ぼん) (Obon festival)
general
Added 2026.1.29 15:10 · Revised 2026.9.29 17:34
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