Obonsuri Festival
As always is the Obonsuri Festival on the first Sunday in August with Live entertainment, food, iwana fishing and preparation of the best food. We all know that gosts don't conusme food. Or at least thats our believe. The tiny village of Higashinaruse, in Akita prefecture, disagrees and has a yearly returning festival: The yearly Obonsuri festival, to please the dead, honor the ghosts. The ghosts are the ones that didn't pass over to Heaven, who didn't leave our Earth or did return to spend some time with their loved ones.
The festival starts offically early in the evening the day before the event, but many people already begin preaprations for their culinairy dishes before. The dishes have to be the best every family can muster, because you want to give your family the best food you have. They are family. ghost or not. You also want to prepare highest quality dishes to impress your neighbors, friends and living family. The festifal begins with the announcement of the day and then the whole day there are presentations of martial arts, praying seances and painting classes. Later, when the sun goes down the food is delivered and placed on the tbales that are placed in one big circle. When the families are done delivering the tables are stacked with the most delicious smelling food, wine and drinks.
The music starts playing some well known tunes and people gather around the ring of tables. Everyone is dressed in their best clothes, very colorfull, informal or traditional and sometimes they are outlandish creations. This is a festival of love and joy, not a wake for the death. Children are participating in the festivities, presented by proud parents to the ghosts (shown to their relatives with photos) and asked for blessings.
The festival goes on until late in the evening. It is concluded with a massive (and very loud) firework show that lights up the sky in a multitude of colors and shapes. The explosions are producing sounds and images that look amazing. After the food and fireworks, there is a time of pleasantry. People dance around the tables with food on the green grass and forgive their loved ones any mistakes they made. They eat and enjoy the presence of others. They strongly believe that this is good to keep their ghosts happy. One thing is sure, it never did rain on this day. (written records date over 800 years back) a phenomena that is still seen as a good sign.
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