THE DAY OF THE DEAD AROUND THE WORLD

Around the World

Day of The Dead

The day of The Dead is coming soon and the month of August is one of the most important in Japan as it celebrates the long-awaited "Japanese Day of the Dead". Which is called O-BON.

Obon (お盆) is an annual three-day event held in honor of one’s ancestors, which sees families get together as the spirits visit household altars. More recently, the holiday has become a time for family reunions, as people return to their hometowns and revisit the graves of the deceased.

What is it about?

When do they celebrate it?

Is celebrated in mid-August, depending on the region this changes but in most cities this festival lasts three days, from August 13 to 15.

Obon has its origin in the oldest Indian Buddhism and is the transliteration of the Sanskrit word ‘ullambana‘, which means ‘to hang upside down’ and implies unbearable pain and suffering. It's based on the Urabon-kyou sutra, which tells the legend of a disciple of Buddha who asked him for help to alleviate the sorrows his own mother suffered in hell. Moved, the Buddha instructed his followers to pray and make offerings for the mother of this disciple, establishing a ritual intended for that purpose, based on the compassion that any disciple of Buddha should feel for those who suffer.

Its Origin

How do they celebrate it?

There are three main celebrations

Mukae bon

On the first day chōchin lamps shine inside the houses, and families travel to the cemeteries, to pray in the graves of their ancestors for their spirits to return home.

Bon Odori

An outdoor celebration in which ceremonial drums are played and people gather to sing, dance and eat in honor of the deceased. "Music should be joyful to welcome the souls of ancestors and people should maintain a cheerful mood."

Tōrō nagashi

On the last night of the Obon, white lanterns that represent the people who have died in the last year, are thrown into the waters of a river to guide the spirits of the dead on their way to the other world.

Gozan no Okuribi

On this day, a Buddhist ritual known as Okuribi ("farewell fire") is also celebrated in many places. The most famous example of this ritual takes place in Kyoto where large bonfires are lit that draw huge Japanese characters that illuminate the nearby hills.

The altars

A bowl with incest is usually placed next to it because the smoke of incest marks the path of our world to that of the spirits so that they don't get lost in their journey.

Since it is believed that the spirits of the ancestors return to our world riding on cows and horses, one of the traditions of the Obon is to place as adornment eggplants (representing cows) and cucumbers (representing horses) pricked with wooden chopsticks as if they were their legs.

On the first day of Obon most people visit the grave of the deceased relative, in addition to that they bring new incest, flowers, some drink for the family member and are responsible for cleaning the stone.A very curious thing about the cemeteries of Japan is that the deceased are not buried. The way in which the bodies are preserved is by cremation, the ashes are kept in the houses of the relatives while the representation in the cemetery.

The cemeteries

Or in rural areas near rice fields, behind gardens or in the middle of the forest.

As there are no bodies in the cemeteries, they are placed in different busy parts of the city, even inside or next to the park.

Thanks!

Team

Daniela Hernández DávilaAranxa Hiromi Ramirez Vázquez Marina Marbán Terrazas