Japanese festival Obon is celebrated from today, Saturday August 13. The annual Buddhist festival is celebrated throughout the country of Japan.
The national holiday is used to celebrate the connection between the living and past ancestors.
It's a tradition that is over 500 years old and is observed on the seventh month of the year.
The date of the celebration is based on the lunar calendar, which differs every year. However, it usually happens sometime between August and September.
According to the solar calendar this is July, but according to the Lunar calendar the
The official dates of the festival this year are August 13-15, though in some years it is celebrated in September.
So what is the festival about, and why is it celebrated? Here is everything you need to know.
What is Obon Festival and how is it celebrated?
Obon is one of the most important annual festivals in Japan and takes place in the summer.
It is based on the Buddhist belief that the spirits of ancestors return to their family home at this time of year.
It dates back to around five centuries ago and has its roots in Nembutsu Odori, a Buddhist ritual that involves dancing and chanting.
These days, the Bon Odori dances provide entertainment during the festival and preserve a tradition that has been performed for centuries.
The first day of Obon Festival is celebrated with chochin lanterns.
Families bring the lanterns to the graves of passed relatives in an attempt to call their ancestors home. This ritual is called mukae-bon.
In some areas of Japan, huge fires are lit at the entrances of houses to guide the spirits to enter.
At the end of the festival families bring the lanterns back to the grave in order to return their ancestors to their natural place.
The returning ritual is called okuri-bon.
Obon festival celebrations
According to the Japan rail-pass website, a hub for tourist information, floating lanterns have become an increasingly popular way to honour the dead.
They say: "The beautiful lanterns float down a river that runs to the sea to symbolically send their ancestors’ spirits into the sky, although customs vary from region to region."
Is Obon Festival celebrated in the UK?
Although the Obon Festival is celebrates as a national holiday in Japan, it is believed that the tradition originated in India, before spreading to the far east.
Because of this, you'll find Obon Festivals in other countries around the world.
In China and Vietnam, a similar celebration takes place, but it's called the Ghost Festival.
In Mexico, the Day Of The Dead Festival has become a global event. One that also mirrors an Obon-like meaning.