🇯🇵Japanese Culture 七五三(しちごさん)🗾

⚫︎What is 七五三
There is the custom

called 七五三 in Japan. We celebrate children become three, five and seven years old. The families who have that ages children visit shires wearing kimono around November 15th. They appreciate kami that they could grow up healthy, and pray for their continued healty growth and happiness. For most of children, this is the first time to wear kimono. And they usually take commemorative photos at photo studios. There are regional differences, but usually the three years celebration for boys and girls, the five years celebration for boys, and the seven years celebration for girls.

⚫︎The History of 七五三
In the ancient times in which medical technology and sanitation were undeveloped, the death rate of children was very high. Therefore, they considered children under seven years old as "child of kami", in other words, the child haven't exist completly in this world yet. Children finally became humans when they attain thier seventh year.

⚫︎The Reason of Three, Five and Seven Years Old
It's said that these ages are turning points in life: they understand the meaning of words when they are three years old, they grow wise when they are five years old, and their baby teeth start to be replaced by permanent teeth when they are seven years old.

⚫︎千歳飴 (ちとせあめ)
After the chief priests prays for each child’s healthy growth at shrines, they receive candies called 千歳飴. 千 means thousand, 歳 means age, and 飴 means a candy. The shape is long and slender that contains a wish for living longer; the wish for living longer, tenaciously, and for thousand years like 千歳飴.

We can see many 七五三 kids this weekend! They are so cute and their familis look so happy😊My son will become five years old next year, so we'll have 七五三 next November!