The Mystic Traveller: The Japanese Festival Of Obon

July 23, 2009

The Japanese Festival Of Obon

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the deceased spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a time, during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves. It is believed that the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. Also called the Feast of Lanterns, it has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years, and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori. In many ways, it shares similarities with Mexico's Day Of The Dead and the Celtic festival of Samhain, which was later changed by Christians into Halloween.