Holidays (Holy Days)
J.K. Hirano
I love holidays! To me it really doesn’t matter where the tradition may have originated, I love them all. However, I know that it’s sometimes confusing about what is a Buddhist Holiday? This article is to define my own perception and celebration of holidays.
These explanations and definitions are how my family, which have been second, third and fourth generation Japanese American Buddhists born and raised in the United States have thought about and celebrated the holidays. I personally love any reason to get together with family, friends and my Sanghas. Our temple’s usually have at least one holiday a month where we can all get together to chant and eat. As I speak to various groups, and when I have especially spoken to other non-Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, I’m often asked, “What is your practice?” I usually reply we chant, and we eat. Every opportunity we get, we have a potluck lunch after or before service. However, for this article, I will touch on a variety of holidays, not just the Buddhist holidays.
Someday, I hope we will have a Buddhist Holiday on our United States’s list of Federal government Holidays for 2025:
1. New Year’s Day January 1
2. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 20
3. President’s Day: February 17
4. Memorial Day: May 26
5. Juneteenth: June 19
6. Independence Day: July 4
7. Labor Day: September 1
8. Indigenous Peoples’ Day (also observed as Columbus Day) October 13
9. Veteran’s Day: November 11
10. Thanksgiving: November 27
11. Christmas: December 25
As you can see, on this list of federal Holidays, there are no Buddhist holidays. We also don’t have any Muslim or Jewish holidays either. However, before we can expect the federal government to accept a Buddhist Holiday, I think we as Buddhists in a Western Country such as the U.S., Canada and Europe, need to have a better understanding of our Buddhist holidays, and why and how we commemorate or celebrate them.
I have always felt that it is important to try to accept the customs and traditions around me. In this current political climate of creating otherness of those that differ from me by race, creed, color or religion. I don’t want to separate myself from the largely White Christian society I live in. One of the holidays that isn’t listed, but I think is a great way to celebrate holidays and traditions in general is the Jewish Holiday of Passover, which was April 12 to April 20 in 2025. It is especially the Sedar, that I think is a wonderful tradition, the traditional Passover dinner. It is a holiday that I believe, has all the hallmarks of why we should celebrate all holidays: A time to remember our traditions, our debt of gratitude to those that have come before us and to teach future generations.
Passover is a Jewish Holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. In Israel, Passover is traditionally celebrated for seven days and for eight days among many Jews in the diaspora. The diaspora is the dispersion of Israelites out of their ancient ancestral homeland and their subsequent settlement in various parts of the World.
The sedar consists of 15 points that are to be followed in a specific order, such as blessings, when to drink from your wine, when to wash your hands, even when and how much matzo is to be eaten. etc.
However, I especially like the sixth point of order, called Ma Nishtanah (The four questions). These are questions asked of the elders or elder at the table, by the youngest child present. This is a way for the child to not only remember the traditions of their culture, but it includes the youngest and oldest of guests to participate. Which is why I also think it is important for dharma school children, their parents and grandparents, to attend our services together. I used to tell my Dharma School kids that if they had a question about Buddhism, they should first ask their parents, if the parents don’t know, ask their grandparents and if they don’t know, suggest they all come to the temple together to learn. Then they can ask me!
The four questions “Ma Nishtanah”: asked by the youngest guest.
Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or matza, but on this night we eat only matza?
2. Why is it that on all nights we eat ll kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs?
3. Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our food even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
4. Why is it that on all other nights we dine sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline?
I’m sure some people are asking, “Why are you starting with this Jewish Holiday? I thought this was about Buddhist Holidays!” I do have a reason, my purpose is that by understanding other religious traditions and their holidays, we can better understand our own.
For example, although, I am focusing on the entire year, January to December; we usually refer to the time after Thanksgiving and just before New Year’s Day, as the Holiday season. From my perspective, I try to consider my Holiday Season as Thanksgiving to Hoonko in January, this includes celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving, I could even stretch it to include Halloween. The holiday season is a time for aspiring for good will to all, peace on Earth with a heart of generosity and giving. Wouldn’t it be great if we could keep that attitude throughout the year.
However, if you are like me, feelings like these are hard to keep up all year round. I believe Holidays are special opportunities for us to remember what we have to be grateful for in good or bad times. This is very much what the Passover Sedar is about and I hope we Buddhists may find similar opportunities in our own culture and tradition.
The word “Holiday” comes from the Old English “Haligdaeg” meaning “Holy day”. My online dictionary describes it as:
Noun
1. Day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or honor of some person.
2. Any day of exemption from work (distinguished from working day)
3. A time or period of exemption from any requirement, duty, assessment, etc.
Adjective
1. Of or relating to a festival; festive; joyous:
A holiday mood
2. Suitable for a holiday:
Holiday attire
I think it is interesting that the Japanese word or equivalent to the English “Holiday” is either
“ホリデ horide” or “やすみ yasumi” which basically means “day off”.
Many people mistakenly think of the Japanese word “matsuri” to mean holiday and it is sometimes used interchangeably. For example, many of the Hopi coats that you see people wearing during Obon dance season often have the Japanese Character “Matsuri” on the back.
However, the word “Matsuri” is traditionally in reference to Shinto rites and rituals. The etymology of the word means “enshrined” and refers to comfort, prayer, to show gratitude for the ritual of nature.
As a result, most “Matsuri” Festival days in Japan vary from area to area and are often specific to certain areas, and not on a set day. There are a few exceptions to this within our Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji Ha tradition, such as Buddha’s birthday is called “Hanamatsuri” (flower festival).
In South Asia and Southeast Asia as well as Tibet and Mongolia. The most important Buddhist Holiday is called Vesak. This is held on the full moon day of the Vaishakha month, the Vesak day marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddartha Gautama, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni.
Although Buddhist holidays have been held for hundreds of years. It was in 1950, when the first conference of the “World Fellowship of Buddhists” established a resolution that reads:
“That this Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording its appreciation of the gracious act of His Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making the full-moon day of Vesak a Public Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the Heads of Governments of all countries in which large or small number of Buddhists are to be found, to take steps to make the full-moon day in the month of May a Public Holiday in honour of the Buddha, who is universally acclaimed as one of the greatest benefactors of Humanity.”
However, our Jodo Shinshu Honganji Ha tradition, does not celebrate Vesak, the two most important holidays for Jodo Shinshu are Hoonko (Shinran’s memorial service) and Gotan E (Shinran’s birthday). In our Buddhist Churches of America we celebrate many Buddhist Holidays, not specified particularly significant for our tradition.
For example, in our Buddhist Churches of America there are holidays that no other sects of Buddhism celebrate and are quite specific to BCA. Such as Socho Ki (Bishop’s Memorial Day) When we gather to express gratitude for the contributions made by our BCA Bishops. It is usually held sometime in the Summer, I don’t even know the day. The reason most of your probably never heard of it, was because many of our temples don’t have services on Sundays in the Summer. This is because many of our temples, I would say, most of our BCA temples were founded by farmers and farmers had to work extremely hard during summer months, the entire family. Therefore, no services.
On September first we have Beikoku Bukkyo Kaikyo Kinenbi (BCA Founding Day. Commemorating Nishi Hongwanji sending Rev. Shuei Sonoda and Reverend Kakuryo Nishijima to the U.S. and their arrival here on September 1, 1899. This past September we celebrated the 125th year since the founding
However,I will go through the calendar from January to December. If your temple is like mine, there is usually a holiday, almost every month.
It is on these days when many temples hold their Shotsuki Hoyo services. Shotsuki Hoyo is the service which commemorates the death anniversaries of the members of that temple’s Sangha. In Japan, the day of the death anniversary is also called “Gomeinichi” 御命日
In Japan, Gomeinichi is usually the day that a priest will visit a family’s home and conduct a short memorial service. Many of our Buddhist Holidays are death days, so I bring this idea of Gomeinich up for two reasons:
1. I found it interesting when I was a student in Japan many years ago and learned just how different the culture of our BCA temples are from the temples in Japan. Priests going to each home to conduct services, rather than members coming to the temple. The orei (honorarium) given to the priest at these services are the primary income for the priest and temple. In Japan, most temples are owned by the priest’s family.
2. The Kanji literally means, “Honorable, Life, Day” Which relates to the Buddhist ideal that to really live, we must accept the reality of death in our lives and we did not get to where we are on our own. It took many causes and conditions to get to here.
I think the use of these kanji shows the Buddhist influence on Japanese culture. This juxtaposition of the name of this day of death anniversary, meaning day of Life, the opposite of death is important.
Let’s now go through the year, to make it easier for your reference.
January 1: Shusho E (New Year’s Day)
This is the first service of the year, it is often held so that we can begin the new year with the proper mind set: a mind of gratitude and appreciation for all that we have.
For most Japanese and Japanese American families, January first is a pretty big celebration, not because of Shusho E, but because of “Oshogatsu”. In Japan, this is the biggest holiday of the year.
January 1 is celebrated as the New Year and many Japanese go either to the local Jinja (Shinto Shrine) or temple for Hatsumode literally “First visit”.
In Japan, as the biggest Holiday of the year, there are so many traditions and special holiday foods for this day. However, there is no order or rules for the meals, as there are in the Passover Sedar. In fact, I would dare say, most people have no idea why they eat or do what they do on New Year’s Day. I would like to mention two of those traditions.
Number one for most holidays and especially New Year’s day is the food. And my favorite New Year’s food is Ozoni. A type of mochi (rice cake) soup, that varies by the area of Japan. For example, Western Japan uses Miso as the soup and Eastern Japan uses more of a clear soup base.
There are a variety of these New Year’s foods. When I first went to Japan, almost 40 years ago, we foreign students were told by the staff of the Hongwanji International Center to stock up with at least three days of food, since everything would be closed down for the first three days of the New Year.
This was why the Japanese developed Osechi Ryori. Cooking was shunned on the first three days of the year, it was a time to visit friends and relatives, etc.
Food is important. However, in most, Japanese and Japanese American Families’ the new year is synonymous with the Chinese Zodiac
For example this year is called: the year of the dragon
The various animal signs are:
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig
And consist of elemental symbols for
Wood, fire, earth, metal and water
However, these types of descriptions and predictions for the coming year, would be considered superstition and most Jodo Shinshu Buddhists do not follow superstitions. An example is that if you were to go to most famous temples in Japan, there would be gift shops and vendors around the temple selling a variety of good luck talismans. However, you will not find any such talismans at any Jodo Shinshu temples.
As I said earlier, the most important holiday for Jodo Shinshu Buddhist is
Goshoki Hoonko (Shinran’s Death Anniversary; Hoonko meaning: to repay the debt of gratitude)
The date of Hoonko depends upon whether the old Japanese lunar calendar or the western Gregorian calendar is used. Higashi Hongwanji temples and some Nishi Hongwanji temples such as Berkeley Buddhist Temple: commemorate it around November 28. However, the Gregorian calendar was introduced to Japan in 1873 as part of the Meiji restoration which began in 1867 and ended with the emperor Meiji’s death in 1912. The Nishi Hongwanji tradition of holidays follows this calendar, thus Hoonko is held between January 9th-16th.
As a child growing up at the temple, I could never really understand what the big deal was about Hoonko. There were no presents given out and the chanting was extra-long. I knew it was a Japanese Buddhist thing because my Caucasian Mormon friends didn’t celebrate this day. With this experience, I didn’t want my children to forget this important holiday, so I wrote a story called, “Horace the Hoonko Hippo” to help explain the idea to my children and the Dharma School kids. I’ve written a number of Children’s stories for the holidays. Most of these I’ve centered on various mystical animals who live in the Pure Land.
Throughout the years, I have put these stories in our temple newsletters.
Orlando the Obon Ostrich who is really a Gaki
Eve the Buddhist Bunny who teaches us about the Trikaya (three baskets)
Harry the Hanamatsuri Groundhog
Fawkes the Ohigan Phoenix
February seems to have a lot of holidays. Maybe because it is usually the coldest time and we need something to celebrate:
In Japan, there are two national holidays:
February 11 Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (National foundation day)
February 23 Tenno no tanjobi, this day changes by emperor’s birthdays.
Both of these are Japanese National Holidays meaning yasumi “Days off” and neither are celebrated in other countries.
I wanted to mention an interesting Japanese tradition in reference to Valentine’s Day, February 14. Valentine’s day is a holiday that began as a Catholic feast day in honor of St. Valentine, a third century Roman saint, said to have been martyred on February 14. St. Valentine was said to have fallen in love with the daughter of his jailer. While imprisoned he had also miraculously cured this girl of blindness. A miracle is a requirement for Sainthood. On the day of his execution, he left a note for her and signed it, “From your Valentine” which is the basis for our contemporary use of Valentine’s Day cards and the phrase from your Valentine.
Most cynics like me would think Valentine’s Day is just a commercial holiday to sell, flowers, cards, jewelry and candies rather than being a religious holiday. Japan is a good proof in point. It has a very small Catholic population, but in 1953, the Kobe based candy company Morozoff, began selling heart shaped chocolates. However, the tradition of the giving of chocolates was somewhat switched and Valentine’s day became a day women give chocolates to the men in their life. There are basically three categories for these chocolate gifts. Candy companies are said to gain half their yearly profits at this time of year.
There are three types of Chocolates suggested for the woman to give their man:
Honmei choco (true feeling) chocolates which are given to special men; boyfriends, husbands, etc.
Giri choco (Obligation chocolates) are given to fellow workers, men in their lives but not that significant.
Tomo choco (friend chocolates) are given to guys in the friend zone and women friends.
In the 1970s candy company “Ishimura man seido” established March 14 as a time for men to return the gift to women. They originally called it “Marshmallow Day” However, since people didn’t really like Marshmallows as much as Chocolate, People would buy white chocolate instead, the holiday is known as “White Day”.
The genius of these companies and their advertising staffs, on White Day there is a custom called “Sanbai Kaeshi” three fold reciprocation. The man is expected to give the woman something back three fold the value of what was given, meaning something expensive.
Luckily my wife Carmela is Filipino and never gives me chocolate on Valentine’s Day, so I don’t have to worry about it.
In the U.S., at least at my temples Salt Lake, Ogden, Honeyville and Idaho Oregon Buddhist Temple, we commemorate the death of Shakyamuni Buddha on February 15. This day is called Nirvana Day or Nehan E. this is one of the holidays which some Buddhists in parts of Asia include as part of their Vesak celebration. However, we Mahayana Buddhists usually consider February 15 as the day of his death.
It was said that Shakyamuni Buddha, chose the time and place of his death. He was 80 at the time of his death and people were beginning to question the Buddha’s humanity. If he were not human his teachings would lose much of its validity. Therefore, his death was a teaching tool for all humankind. Even the Buddha dies.
At my temple’s during Nirvana Day, besides Shotsuki hoyo, we also hold Pet Memorial Services, for our members pet’s that have died.
For many of us, the first time we experience death is when we lose one of our pets. I recently had to put my dog Miso to sleep. I had three dogs, two very large Akitas, Musubi 90 lbs and Koge 160 lbs. However, the queen of the house was Miso, a 6 lb Yorky Mix. Putting her to sleep was one of the hardest things I have done in years.
I was definitely traumatized and quite shocked at how difficult her death was for me. I had forgotten how difficult experiencing death could be. I first learned the reality of death when my grandfather died when I was in Jr. High School. When I returned from Japan and began serving BCA, my mother died at the age of 59. Which has been the hardest death for me to experience. I’m sure a spouse or child is even more difficult. However, over thirty years have passed and I have lost many friends and family, including my father. I have officiated at hundreds of funerals in my ministerial career. However, I had forgotten how painful death can be. Because of Miso, I now remember how precious the time we have with our family and friends are. This was a gift to me from Miso.
March 21 is Ohigan: Maybe it is because this is such a nice time of year, not too hot, not too cold. Days and nights are equal, it is a time of balance. It’s a time to be outside. Ohigan is a specifically Japanese Buddhist Holiday. It was begun in the eighth century under Emperor Shomu. Higan is the Japanese pronounciation of the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit term for “Other Shore” paramita. The other shore is referring to enlightenment, The Pure Land. The non-Jodo Shinshu Buddhist way to get to the Other Shore is by practicing the six paramitas
Dana (Generosity), Sila (morality),Ksanti (Patience), Virya (energy), Dhyana (Meditation), Prajna (Wisdom).
A traditional story during Ohigan is Shantao’s story of the two rivers and the white path (Nigabyakudo). This story was also retold by Shinran Shonin in Kyogyoshinsho. I won’t go into the story, so please ask your minister. I’m sure you can also look it up online. Within our Jodo Shinshu perspective, although the six paramitas are a great teaching tool, we believe that the only way for us to get to the other shore is through Amida Buddha and that is why Jodo Shinshu Buddhists also call it Sanbutsu E. Gathering to Praise Buddha. In Japan, Ohigan whether Spring or Fall is a time to visit cemeteries and the family graves.
April is a time for celebration. One of my favorite Buddhist Holidays is April 8th, Hanamatsuri.
When I was a child, if I were asked, “What is the most important Buddhist Holiday?”
I’m sure I would have answered, “Hanamatsuri” I know that at most temples, it is one of the biggest Holidays. The story of Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth and his immediately walking and taking seven steps, pointing to the sky pronouncing to the world, “One heaven and Earth, I am the enlightened one.”
Pouring the sweet tea on the Hanamido “Flower viewing hall”
In Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, we would also have a big lunch and program. With the Dharma School students and even parents doing some type of performance. I remember when I was very small and there were still Issei “First generation Japanese” at the temple, some of them would perform and there would be Japanese movies, one modern and one samurai. During the Movie they would always pass out treats.
I’m not sure why these were chosen, but to this day, on Hanamatsuri. There are always Twinkies and Bananas as treats.
In May we have another big Jodo Shinshu Holiday celebrated only by Jodo Shinshu Buddhists.
May 21: Gotan E (Shinran’s Birthday)
They held services in commemoration of his 850th Birthday in Kyoto the past few years.
June really has no special services, but many temples will hold special graduation services.
July and August are the times when many people would say is their temple’s biggest holiday of the year or at least their biggest fund raiser.
Obon or Kangi E usually held between July and August.
Obon has so many components. I would have to say that most BCA temples have a large Obon dance and many with an accompanying food bazaar or food. This began with the love of a son for his mother. In Japanese,his name was Mokuren.
The Ulumbana sutra was a sutra about filial piety. The Japanese word for Ulumbana was “Urabon”. This is where the word Bon odori comes from. The “O” is honorific. In this story Mokuren who is one of the historical Buddha’s ten great disciples goes to the Buddha for guidance, after finding his mother had been born into the World of Gaki “Hungry Ghost. Gakis are beings that are constantly craving for food. They have small thin necks attached to large bodies and whenever they tried to consume anything, it would burst into fire. The Buddha explained to Mokuren that he could save his mother by providing Dana to his fellow monks. As he did this, he once again, tried to find his Mother and discovered she had been released from the realm of Hungry ghosts and would become enlightened. He immediately jumped into the air with great joy and began to dance. This is the origins of our Obon dance.
In Japan and in our Buddhist Temples, Obon is a time to remember the dead and express gratitude. It is a time of Joy, but also of remembrance. Therefore, we have memorial services at the various cemeteries our temples serve.
I personally conduct Obon services at over 25 cemeteries and drive over 1200 miles to cover them. I travel through five states and stop at two Japanese concentration camps, Topaz in Delta, Utah and Minidoka in Jerome, Idaho. It’s usually just me and Carmela. Miso liked to come with me, so I would let her Oshoko and hang out.
Obon Season is a great opportunity for me to realize how many people have lived and died, so I could be here.
At our temples we also have Obon/Hatsubon, meaning first Obon for members of our Sanghas who have died over the past year. In Japan, Obon is sometimes treated as we in the U.S. celebrate Halloween, with ghost stories and tales of haunted houses. It is also a time for people to go home, their hometowns. My daughters always come home for Obon.
The Jodo Shinshu name for Obon is Kangi E, gathering of Joy. A gathering of both living and dead, to celebrate in gratitude this life we live. Our BCA CBE has had a number of seminars that talk about Obon and the various activities that accompany it. I think Obon will be one of the contributions that we Buddhists make to American society. It is getting bigger and bigger and now we even have “BCA’s virtual Obon.” We are already having Obon in Cyber space. Who knows what the future of Obon will be. Maybe some galaxy far, far way. In Japan, they are already teaching robots to dance.
The next Holiday is Autumn Ohigan. Same reason and way we celebrate Spring Ohigan is used for Autumn Ohigan, just the date is different September 23 or there abouts.
September 23: Autumn Ohigan
Then we move into the beginning of my Holiday Season.
October 31: Halloween
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It is now considered a Christian festival, but it was originally a celtic festival known as Samhain. This festival was actually held on November 1, similar to the Mexican Dio De Los Muertos. Halloween and Dio De Los Muertos, both have it’s origins in this Celtic festival which marked the end of the Harvest and the beginning of the Darker half of the year. I like Halloween as an opportunity to talk about our true selves and the masks we usually wear.
My temple also has a large Halloween Party. If you would like to see how I say cultures cross over one another. Watch one of my favorite Disney Movies “Coco” I feel like it is Mexican Obon!
November: Eitaikyo
Eitaikyo at my temple is held in November, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving
Eitaikyo is an abridgement of the phrase: Eitaik dokkyo. Which means the perpetual chanting of sutras. Many temples will have an Eitaikyo Fund and an Eitaikyo list. This fund is collected to be used in an emergency for the temple and also for ritual objects that may help our religious services. To have your name on the Eitaikyo list, usually requires a donation to this Eitaikyo Fund.
Since we are mentioning services that are really not attached to a date. I would also like to mention the “Eshinni, Kakushinni Ko” which are memorial services for the wife and daughter of our founder Shinran Shonin. I have heard some people wonder about women in Buddhism. Within our sect, I believe that the women are extremely important. Eshinni, Shinran’s wife, was the one who basically financed Shinran to work and to teach. She was a land holder in the area Shinran had been exiled to, around present day Niigata. When Shinran returned to Kyoto, it was his daughter Kakushinni who took care of him.
After his death, it was Kakushinni who established the mausoleum for Shinran, that eventually became Hongwanji. Although, historically we call Rennyo Shonin the eight head of Hongwanji as the “second founder” it could just as easily be Kakushinni. If she didn’t donate the property she had inherited from her husband to be used as the site of Shinran’s mausoleum, There would be no Hongwanji. And as an interesting side not.
Until the 20th century, there really wasn’t any proof of Shinran Shonin’s existance. There were some scholars who said Shinran was a myth made up by Hongwanji, since there were no historical records. In 1921 letters written between Eshinni and her daughter Kakushinni were discovered in the Hongwanji archives. Therefore, we now have proof of Shinran’s existence, from the time he was alive. In Salt Lake and Ogden we hold this service along with the Eitaikyo.
This next holiday is a bit out of order, since it is on December 8th that we recognize Bodhi Day or in Jodo Shinshu we call it “Jodo E” gathering to commemorate the completion of the path. This is another holiday that many Buddhists include with the Vesak celebration. Zen Buddhist’s call this day “Rohatsu” which literally means eighth day of 12th month. For seven days prior to the eighth, they have meditation retreats. In Jodo Shinshu we call it Jodo E, but there isn’t any real specific ritual or activities. I remember when I was a little boy, some Dharma School teacher thought of putting up a Christmas tree on the altar and saying it was the Bodhi tree.
Even as a little kid, I knew that wasn’t a Bodhi tree. At least they gave us a treat to go along with the holiday.
To be totally honest. Of all the holidays of the year, my two favorites are Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are both celebrated throughout the United States and are the heart of what we call the Holiday season. I have heard some people ask how or why a Buddhist celebrates Christmas. They always say, you must just celebrate it as a secular Holiday, Christmas trees, presents, Santa Claus, etc. I have to explain that as a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist in America, I will also celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ. If there were no Jesus Christ, there would be no United States of America or my home state of Utah. As a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist both Thanksgiving and Christmas are days that we celebrate with our entire community, gratitude and Thanksgiving for all that we are blessed with. This is the heart of the Nembutsu. So, I could say, “How could an American Jodo Shinshu Buddhist not celebrate these holidays.”
I’d like to end our little stroll through the holidays with the last Holiday of the year, Joya E. This literally means, “Last Night Gathering”. It is when we go to the temple to express appreciation for all that we have received during the year, both the good and the bad. Although traditions say, the Joya E no Kane, the temple bell rung 108 times is to symbolize ridding ourselves of the 108 afflictions (Bonno). I like to say, “it is rather to express appreciation and recognize how much I am embraced in compassion despite my Bonno.” We usually decorate our homes or altar with the “Kagami Mochi” literally mean “Mirror mochi”. When I was small, I always thought of that as a weird name since it didn’t look anything like a mirror. However, the shape is said to remind us of a Japanese mirror. This mirror is for us to reflect upon ourselves. The orange on top is not an orange or tangerine, it is a Japanese fruit called the Dai dai”, it is on here to recognize aspiration of gratitude for the past, present and future since the word dai dai, means generation to generation. We eat toshi koshi soba. Buckwheat noodles, for health and the word is a play on the Japanese words that the new year is coming.
I often use this quote from Charles Dickens’s book A Christmas Carol, as I said I love Christmas and watch the movies and read the book each holiday season. This is the pleading the Ebenezar Scrooge says to the ghost of Christmas future.
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons they teach.
I believe, this a great sentiment in regards to all of our Buddhist Holidays and a good place to end this seminar.
I know there are many holidays that we did not cover, but hopefully we covered most. I hope you have the good fortune to celebrate many of these holidays with family and friends, this would really be a “Holy Day”
Namo Amida Butsu.