「水無月の 夏越の祓 するひとは 千歳の命 延ぶというなり」
(It's said that people receiving a purification for Summer in June will be granted a longer life).
In shintoism, unconsciously we would receive uncleanness and sins in our life and its purification is very important. Before festivals, prayers, priests/participants should be purified in its religious way but for our daily life, we should also be purified. One of them is "Nagoshi no Oo harae".
June 30 is the end of the first half of a year: (January to June is the first half and July to December is the second). In most of shrines in Japan, a festival called "Nagoshi no Oo harae" is held. This festival's literal meaning is "purification for summer". In the festival, we visit a shrine and purify our unconscious uncleanness and sins.
To do so, we will get through "Chi no wa" (A ring-shaped gate made of straw) placed in the shrine (sometimes docked with its Torii-gate) three times (the first; anti-clockwise, the second; clockwise; the third; straightforward). Straw is said to be a plant which helps us purify our selves so while getting through the straw gate, straw absorbs our sins.
Its origin can be dated back to 701 AD. The emperor of the time, its prince were supposed to purify their sins in the above mentioned way, but it was aimed more at prayers to prevent diseases from spreading to the imperial court and its nation. When they got through the gate, they spelled out the poet 「水無月の 夏越の祓 するひとは 千歳の命 延ぶというなり」.
This festival is based on a myth. The God "Susano-o" went on his journey and asked somebody for a stay in his house for one night but the somebody declined without knowing he was the god. He went to the other's house and the person called "Somin Shorai" let the god in the house. The god was very impressed and taught him how to protect himself from diseases. The god's instruction was to have a ring made of straw. "Somin Shorai" was blessed with the ring and legendarily he lived a long life.
People wanted to be blessed for a longer life and followed this way. It was introduced to the imperial court and became an official festival held by the court. As time went by, the festival became famous and popular among people and now we can undergo the festival.
(It's said that people receiving a purification for Summer in June will be granted a longer life).
In shintoism, unconsciously we would receive uncleanness and sins in our life and its purification is very important. Before festivals, prayers, priests/participants should be purified in its religious way but for our daily life, we should also be purified. One of them is "Nagoshi no Oo harae".
June 30 is the end of the first half of a year: (January to June is the first half and July to December is the second). In most of shrines in Japan, a festival called "Nagoshi no Oo harae" is held. This festival's literal meaning is "purification for summer". In the festival, we visit a shrine and purify our unconscious uncleanness and sins.
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| The ring of straw Retrieved on 2012/7/2 from Wkipedia |
Its origin can be dated back to 701 AD. The emperor of the time, its prince were supposed to purify their sins in the above mentioned way, but it was aimed more at prayers to prevent diseases from spreading to the imperial court and its nation. When they got through the gate, they spelled out the poet 「水無月の 夏越の祓 するひとは 千歳の命 延ぶというなり」.
This festival is based on a myth. The God "Susano-o" went on his journey and asked somebody for a stay in his house for one night but the somebody declined without knowing he was the god. He went to the other's house and the person called "Somin Shorai" let the god in the house. The god was very impressed and taught him how to protect himself from diseases. The god's instruction was to have a ring made of straw. "Somin Shorai" was blessed with the ring and legendarily he lived a long life.
People wanted to be blessed for a longer life and followed this way. It was introduced to the imperial court and became an official festival held by the court. As time went by, the festival became famous and popular among people and now we can undergo the festival.
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