Setsubun - February 3

oni in pilgrims clothing

While not an official holiday Setsubun is celebrated every February 3rd as part of the Lunar New Year celebration in Japan.  Though the Japanese will typically celebrate the Gregorian New Year as well traditions that held for generations still are practiced today. Setsubun can be thought of as a New Years Eve with the next day being the start of Spring and a new year.

As with many new year traditions the customs preformed are to assure good luck for the coming year while chasing away the bad luck of last year.  The most common tradition is the throwing of roasted soy beans at home while saying "oni wa so to, fu ku wa uchi", translated to "get out demons, come in happiness".  This is done by either throwing the beans out the front door, around the house or at a person wearing a oni, demon, demon mask.  It is not uncommon to see children in masks throwing the beans at one another in the street repeating the saying.  Though not just a children's game, this ceremony is also carried out with in the temples of Japan by the monks there.  It is also said to bring good luck if one picks up a number of the beans that have been thrown that corresponds to their age and eats them.

Not Japanese but roasted soy beans none the less

Another tradition is the eating of a special sushi roll while facing in the lucky direction based on the year.  This custom has become wide spread but was once a regional tradition.  To truly get the luck a person is said to have to eat the whole roll without saying a word.

Links:
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setsubun

Other: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2285.html
http://www2.gol.com/users/stever/setsubun.htm
http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/setsubun.htm

Groundhog Day - February 2nd

Groundhog Day is very well known in the United States and I would not be surprised if it is known well in other countries as well but I would bet many do not know where it comes from. Germans who came to the United States brought with them the tradition of looking to animal to tell them how much longer the winter would last. While in their homeland they looked to the hedgehog it turned out the groundhog would server them in the New World. The first recorded mention of the tradition was by James Morris in his diary in 1841.

The most well famous of the groundhogs in the U.S. is Punxsutawney Phil who recieved quit a bit of publisty from the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. The city of Punxsutawney has a screening of the movie during it's four day event. The Punxsutawney Spirit first reported on a groundhog day celebration in 1886. The legend of seeing his shadow meaning six more weeks of winter comes from the Christian celebration of Candlemas where in the middle ages priests would bless candles to be used for the rest of the winter. There was a saying that if it was bright and good weather on Candlemas there would be six more weeks of winter if the weather was bad then winter was over. From this if one could see a shadow the weather was nice and the tradition was born.

Many other countries have similar celebrations as well and I suggest listening to my podcast to learn even more and hear an interview with the event coordinator of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Day celebration.

Links:
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day

Official Punxsutawney: http://www.groundhog.org/

Podcast links for week ending February 6th, 2009

Sami Flag

This is my first podcast with an interview. Laura the Event Coordinator for Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney PA. She was a great person to interview for my first time, very informative and pleasant. Also on this episode I was helped by a new co host, Gai, as my regular one was a bit busy and wish to think him for his help

If you would like to listen to the podcast you can subscribe in iTunes by clicking on the link to the left that says Subscribe in iTunes or searching in iTunes for HolidayAWeek or you can listen to it on line by clicking here.

These are the links that were used for this show:

Groundhog Day
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day
Official Punxsutawney Site: http://www.groundhog.org/

Hromnice:
http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech_culture/czech_holidays/hromnice.html

Chandeleur
http://french.about.com/od/culture/a/chandeleur.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_17622_celebrate-la-chandeleur.html

The Sámi National Day
Official Norway Site: http://www.norway.org/culture/heritage/sami+national+day.htm
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_National_Day

Quick Note

I have had a little bit of a problem with coming up with anything for the last couple days but I am excited to report that I have my first interview with someone actually involved with a celebration. So you can look forward to hearing that on the podcast with any luck on Saturday, January 31.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27

While I was unable to find much information on how International Holocaust Remembrance Day is actually observed I felt it was important to post.

In 2005 the United Nations designated 27th of January as a day to remember those of the Holocaust, to ensure that this tragedy would never be forgotten nor anything like it be repeated.  It is supposed to be marked by all member states as a day to remind and teach their population of the event that transpired within the concentration camps.  At both the United Nations headquarters and of course the Holocaust Museums ceremonies and events take place.  Teachers are encouraged to bring the topic up within their classrooms as well.  The 27th of January was chosen because the largest of the concentration camps, Auschwitz, was liberated on this day by the Soviet Army in 1945.  Of the at least 1.3 million people to have been sent to Auschwitz, only 7,000 where liberated on this day, with 1.1 million having been killed and the rest taken else where.

While I wish that I could report a happy holiday for each day of the year something can not be forgotten, this I believe is one of them.  While we, as the human race, I think have come a long way, genocide still remains.  This is the very essence of why I do this blog and my podcast, the more we know about one another the less likely we will stand for this kind of treatment.  We are all humans and we share this world together, a common heritage in our distant past ties us to one another.  If we know and maybe understand just a little more about those who live next to us or pass us on the street or live in another country how can we not treat them as people, worthy of our respect.

So remember today those who have died, let their suffering not be in vein.

Links:

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Holocaust_Remembrance_Day

UN: http://www.un.org/holocaustremembrance/2009/27jan09.shtml

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=16431&Cr=holocaust&Cr1

United States Holocaust Museum:

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/ihrd/comment_post.php

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?ModuleId=10005189