Sunday, August 17, 2008

Remember the Ancestors 40


Every year Japan celebrates the Festival of Obon. It is a tradition whose roots lie in Buddhist thought which emphasizes the importance of honoring the ancestors. It has grown into a family reunion where people return to their ancestral roots to be with their families and to honor the dead. This often involves cleaning the grave sites of their loved ones . It is a time when the spirits of the ancestors are called back home. It is a time for prayer of the souls of the ancestors. This holiday usually starts on the 13th and ends on the 16th of August. On the 16th the spirits are returned to their graves.

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