Japanese tradition: Koinobori 鯉のぼり

In Japan, May 5th is a holiday called "Tango no sekku", also it's a Children's day. We celebrate both boys and girls nowadays, but actually it's a day for boys. The girls day is March 3ed called "Hinamatsuri". My parents in Japan sent this Koinobori" to our son last year. Finally we got them up.

去年、息子の生まれた年に両親から送られてきた大きな鯉のぼり、５月も後半になり、やっと挙げることができました。日本では鯉のぼり用のポールが簡単に手に入るのですが、こっちではあるものでなんとかするしかない。この辺りは風力発電の多いところ。強風でも大丈夫で経済的な旗竿を探しまくって、結局だめならだめでしょうがない、もうこれでいいわと購入したもの。旗竿の先につける粗い作りの金の玉はついてきたものの、つけたいのはやっぱり矢車。旗竿と矢車のチューブの幅の差が合わせるだけでいいと思ったものの、旗竿に水が入ったりするのも嫌なので、滑車は旗竿についてきたのを使うことに。ホームセンターで滑車の先っぽに合う大きなコーティングされたねじを探して、矢車をつける方法を考える。結局、屋外用の木片をいくつかチューブに合う形に抜いて、ねじとチューブをシリコンで固めて出来上がり。矢車も鯉のぼりもみたことのないみんなは、旗竿を立て、矢車が回りだしてワクワク、鯉のぼりがふわっと泳ぎだして、歓声を上げたのでした。

Josh says Japanese have meanings for everything. Yes, we do.
日本人は何にでも意味をつけたがると、いつもジョッシュは言うのですが、その通り。日本人は知っているけれど、こっちの人用にちょっと説明。

This fishes on flagpole swimming in the sky is called "Koinobori". This is from an old Chinese story about fishes tried to climb up the big waterfall in the Yellow River, and only carp had succeeded and became a dragon. People let these carp kite up in the sky hoping their son would have great success in his life by trying hard like the carp did in the story. Black carp is a father carp. Red carp is a mother carp. The blue carp is  a boy carp.

The one on the top is called "Fukinagashi". Five colors represent Five elements, earth, water, fire, wind, and sky. In old Japan, samurai era, people put this up after the war ended to hope a war would never ever happen again. …Well, so you can say this doesn't work, but it's the thought that counts…. This is as a protection for children in a well balanced peaceful world. The top windmill charm are shapes of arrow quill that has a same meaning to protect children.

So this should protect our son, we hope.

Most of our house in Japan don't have a space like we do here. So only the place that have big Koinobori are schools and in some festivals. I would like to see this thousand of koinobori swimming in the sky someday with my boys. 

日本では学校の鯉のぼり以外は、ベランダ用の鯉のぼりしか見たことがない。いつかうちの男の子達、ジョッシュと虹児を鯉のぼりフェスティバルに連れて行きたいな。

We also display samurai helmet, and eat rice cake covered with oak leaf called "Kashiwa-mochi". Cerebrate the generation continues in your family as old oak leaf doesn't fall off until the new buds come out. Maybe I will try make Kashiwamochi (like thing) next year. 

この小さな兜はおばあちゃんが虹児にと、送ってくれたもの。私たちの小さな家にぴったりのサイズです。ありがとう。庭に柏の木があるので、来年は柏餅もどきでも作ってみようかしら。