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.
お彼岸に墓参りをする。
We visit the grave during higan.
春のお彼岸には牡丹餅を作る。
We make botamochi (rice cakes) for spring higan.
お彼岸の時期になると、スーパーに供え物が並ぶ。
When higan season comes, offerings are displayed at supermarkets.
お彼岸 is a Japanese Buddhist observance period.
SEASONS:
- 春のお彼岸: Spring higan (around March 20-21)
- 秋のお彼岸: Autumn higan (around September 22-23)
TRADITIONAL FOODS:
- 牡丹餅: Spring rice cakes (named after peony flowers)
- 御萩: Autumn rice cakes (named after bush clover)
CULTURAL NOTE:
The equinox is considered a time when the boundary between this world and the afterlife is thinnest. Families visit graves (墓参り), clean tombstones, and make offerings of flowers and food. The expression 「暑さ寒さも彼岸まで」 means extreme heat and cold end around the equinoxes.