Greeting from Yokohama Group 87

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on our 87th Home Page (English)!

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New Year Celemony 2010

Activity in February

 ZA-ZEN

There are many Temples in our vicinity where we can visit to experience this ZAZEN.  It was first time to experience ZAZEN by scouts and for some leader also.   Month of February is most colest month of year and there is no heating where they had ZAZEN.

You will find more details at Wikipedia.

Greeting from Yokohama Goup 123 and 129

 Joint MOCHITSUKI

Greeting from Yokohama Group 123 and 129 !!

This is their first activity of year 2010.

We make "MOCHI (Rice Cake)" for celebration.  More detail is available at Wikipedia. 

March 3rd is HINA-MATSURI

It is the Japanese Doll Festival (Hina-Matsuri),

or known as Girls' Day!!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

More detail is available from Wikipedia 

We display those dolls and celebrate on this day by girls. 

It is said that immediately after celebrating this day, March 3, it is important to put away those dalls as quickly as possible. 

Otherwise, your kid girl will be late in getting married (?) 

February 14 is St. Valentine Day

To Dear Scouts Friend,

Happy Valentine !

                            

St. Valentine Day is one of very big event in Japan today.       

This event was not of our tradition before. But, it is very popular today and you will be supprised to see every young and old ladies are buying chocolate for this St. Valentine Day.




There are three different paractices you may find strange.

1. Gift is given from a girl to boy to confess her love. Only from girl to boy on this day.
2. This gift is chocolate. This is becuause this practice was introduced by chocorate maker in Japan.
3. Some Chocolate gift is distributed for curtesy. This curtisy chocolate is called "GIRI-Choco" and distributed to co-workers or classmates.

It is nice to have many chocolate gifts, even it is "GIRI-Choco." But you must give a return to that gift in next month which is named "White Date."

Februrary 3rd is SETSUBUN in Japan

February 3 in Japan is the day of SETSUBUN event.
This day is also a celebration (a day before) of the Spring Festival.

We have special action of throwing the dried beans (MAMEMAKI)to drive away evil spirits such as bringing diseases. The evils areabstracted as the masks you can see on above. This abstractedimage of evil, I believe, was came from China.

Can you guess what this is ?

This is a big SUSHI role and it is said that it will bring a good luck when we ea it on this SETSUBUN day, and for that event, this SUSHI role is called EHO-MAKI.

In order to bring a good luck, you must face the direction of that year and by closing your eyes and eat it without speaking a word till you finish. The direction of year for 2010 is West-South-West.

It is not certain of its origin of start, but one of rumor is that it was Seven and Eleven started to sell this role in 1989 and made popular in Japan. Today, I was surprised, you will see not just SUSHI role but role made by cake for this special event.

Learn more about SETSUBUN at Wikipedia (click here)