One of our favorite mid-August holidays is Obon, one of Japan’s most beloved traditions: a time to honor ancestors and welcome their spirits home.
Often described as Japan’s “Day of the Dead,” Obon is a three-day festival when families travel back to their hometowns, tend to ancestral graves, and prepare to receive loved ones who have passed on. It’s a season of connection, bridging the world of the living with the world of the spirits.
Lighting the way
Bonfires are lit to guide ancestors back to the family home. At the festival’s end, floating lanterns drift down rivers and across lakes, symbolically lighting the path for their journey back to the spirit world. These glowing processions are both breathtaking and deeply moving, a reminder of love that transcends time.
The charm of cucumber horses and eggplant cows
One of the festival’s most unique customs involves crafting tiny animals from vegetables, like cucumber horses and eggplant cows. The horses help ancestors “ride quickly” to their loved ones, while the cows provide a slower, safe return trip. These whimsical offerings are both symbolic and sweet, blending reverence with playfulness.
Dance of the people
No Obon would be complete without Bon Odori, the community dances performed in traditional cotton kimonos, often to the beat of taiko drums. Each region has its own style and music, but the feeling is universal- joyful movement in honor of those who came before us.
Whether celebrated in mid-August or another time of year (dates vary by region), Obon is more than just a festival; it’s an invitation to pause, express gratitude, and keep our ancestors’ stories alive.
This season, may we all find ways to honor those who walked before us, whether through light, music, memory, or simple acts of love.