Boy's Day

Boy's Day is a Japanese Holiday. It was originally called Tango no Sekku. It is now called Children's Day to include girls as well (yay for Patriarchal Japan!) Although there is also a Girl's Day but more specifically Doll's Day called Hinamatsuri. Anyhoo. Tradition on Boy's Day is to fly these gorgeous koi flags called koinobori.  It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.

"Before this day (weeks), families raise the carp-shaped koinobori flags (carp because of the Chinese legend that a carp that swims upstream becomes a dragon, and the way the flags blow in the wind looks like they are swimming), one for each boy (or child), display a Kintarō doll usually riding on a large carp, and the traditional Japanese military helmet, kabuto. Kintarō and the kabuto are symbols of a strong and healthy boy."

We need to get a better pic of the Bear with his koinobori that was given to us by my parent's friends Karen and Al (Thank you!) Mike hung it out on our stoop a week before May 5. It's still up. 

Here is a pic from the internets of the koinobori flying high:

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Day_%28Japan%29