1.
farewell fire; send-off fire
A fire lit at the end of the Obon festival to guide the spirits of the deceased back to the afterlife. The counterpart of the welcoming fire (mukaebi) lit at the beginning of Obon.
送り火を焚いて先祖を見送る。
We light a farewell fire to see off our ancestors.
京都の大文字は有名な送り火だ。
Kyoto's Daimonji is a famous farewell fire.
お盆の最終日に送り火を灯して、先祖の霊をあの世に送り届ける。
On the last day of Obon, farewell fires are lit to guide the ancestral spirits back to the other world.
A ritual fire lit on the final day of お盆 (typically August 16) to send the spirits of ancestors back to the afterlife. The opposite ritual is 迎え火 (welcoming fire), lit at the start of Obon to guide spirits home.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 送り火を焚く (to light a farewell fire)
- 送り火を灯す (to light a farewell fire)
- 大文字送り火 (Daimonji farewell fire)
The most famous 送り火 is Kyoto's 五山送り火 (Gozan no Okuribi), where enormous bonfires are lit on five mountains surrounding the city. The most iconic of the five is the 大 character on Mount Daimonji.