Han'ei Oiwai

This joyous festival is extremely popular and marks the beginning of a new year.

History

The holidays roots are long-lost, but the popular theory is simply that it marks the day when things begin to get better - days get longer and temperatures begin to rise.

Execution

The festival lasts for nine days. It is split into four periods:

• Days 1 - 3: the first period is about gathering the community together, during which they cook meals together and begin crafting effigies.
• Days 4 - 6: the focus shifts to enjoying spending time together. During this time, there are often games and parties, open to all.
• Days 7 - 9: the focus shifts to unwinding. It is a time of contemplation, reflecting on the year and making plans for the coming year.
• Midnight of Day 9: the effigies created during the first period receiving carvings depicting wishes, and are "released". Depending on the location, this can mean attaching them to small candles with paper balloons and released to float off into the sky, or setting them in small paper boats and releasing them on lakes and rivers.

The idea is that the effigies, carved with your wishes for the upcoming year, will go and reach the gods who will in turn be able to grant your wishes.

Components and tools

Small wooden effigies,

Observance

This festival begins 9 days before the end of Cadere.

Primary Related Location

Atraria