Who Celebrates Obon?

Obon, sometimes known as Bon, is celebrated

by Japanese Buddhists every year. The date
of this fun, three day festival will be
celebrated from 13th-15th August in 2019.

The Obon festival has been celebrated

Funforfact
over 500 years!
 Why Is Obon Celebrated?
Obon is celebrated by Buddhists in Japan to honour the spirit of their dead
ancestors (relatives who lived long ago). It is one of the three main holiday
seasons in Japan.

During Obon, it is believed the spirits of the ancestors return to visit their
relatives.
 How Is Obon Celebrated?
Lanterns are hung on houses to guide the spirits.

Graves of relatives are visited and cleaned.

Offerings of food are made at altars in houses and temples.

Families get together and celebrate.

Obon dances (Bon Odori) are performed.

 Bon Odori
The style of dance varies from region to region. Some include the use of small
hand fans, others use straw hats decorated with flowers. Dancers often dress in
traditional cotton robes (yukata).
 The Feast of Lanterns
At the end of Obon, some people place floating lanterns into the water, to
represent the sending off of the soul of their ancestors.

Obon is also known as the Feast of Lanterns.

 The End of the Festival
The end of Obon is often celebrated with a big firework display
and bonfires.

Which of the Obon celebrations would you like to be part of?

Think
What other festivals have similar traditions?