Girls’ Festival, or Hinamatsuri, is celebrated at the beginning of spring on March 3. So you’d expect Boys’ Festival to also be in store. Not quite. It turns out the Tango-no Sekku, or Boys’ Festival, falls on the same day that we call Children’s Day, which are both celebrated on…
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Once spring hits, they’re nearly everywhere. Visitors to Japan will find long strands of fish flags hanging from balconies, strung up in public spaces, and even hoisted up in front of businesses. So, ah, what’s up with all of these fish flags?
Well, what’s up is Children’s Day,
Kodomo no Hi, a public holiday celebrated each year on the 5
th of May. And the Japanese fish flags? They’re called
Koinobori. Intended to resemble carp, they’re a hallmark of the holiday.
The Origins of Children’s Day
Celebrating the double fifth the fifth day of the fifth month traces its origins to ancient China. However, Japan has been throwing its own double-fifth celebrations for hundreds and hundreds of years. In Japan, the holiday was originally known as