Obon or Festival of the Dead

Although it doesn't sound like a very cheery festival, the Japanese revere their ancestors and celebrate the Festival of the Dead with great joy. In the belief that their relatives return for several days to visit with their living loved ones, the Japanese will go to great lengths to decorate the graves of their ancestors. On the first Obon after a loved one has passed away, it is tradition to spend the entire night with one's recently departed by having a party and keeping paper lanterns lit throughout the night, setting off firecrackers to say, "Hey, we're over here, come over here!" to the returning spirit. Kaz maintained this for his father last year on Hatsubon, the first Obon after his father passed away. The girls are with their paternal grandmother and have eagerly anticipated this Obon. They are now old enough to remember and enjoy this part of being in a Japanese family. They wear their Hello Kitty summer kimonos with obi sashes and are quite proud of themselves. That's it for this week's Obon celebration. I myself will be completing several final exams for history and political theory and then another celebration is in order for I will be done!