At the present time, Japanese people are celebrating their ancestors for Bon, or Obon. For this festival, Buddhist monks used to honor their ancestors’ spirits. Nowadays, all over Japan families get together to visit graves and family alters.
This custom originates from the Chinese Festival of Ghosts. It arrived in Japan more than 500 years ago. Just like the Christian’s All Saints Day, people return to their hometowns to visit their families’ graves.
Bon Festival takes place during a few days in the middle of July, August and September. However, the most popular period for Bon is the one in August. People put a light in front of their houses to show the souls the way home. Some of them have been made especially for the festival.
For Japanese people, this festival is a time for getting together and spending time with each other. Dances called Bon Odori are organized to honor ancestors. The customs differ a lot from one region to the other.
