Japanese

Carp Flags for Japanese Boy’s Day

As my children are half Japanese we adopt many of the Japanese cultures such as flying carp shaped flags to celebrate ‘Boy’s Day’ or Tango no Sekku.

It is a wonderfully colourful sight to see the carp shaped flags, known as Konibori flying in front of every Japanese house hold or stung across the lake in the local park throughout the month of May, as each family celebrate their son(s). As a family who are also extremely proud of our son we relish the opportunity to fly our Koniboro each year.

The origins of Boy’s Day arise out of Chinese legend which has it that when a carp swims up stream it becomes a dragon – I guess this is because the dragon is the mightiest sign in the Chinese zodiac. Therefore, the carp shaped flag blowing in the wind imitates the movement of a swimming carp.

05 May is a national holiday in Japan and now celebrates the personality and happiness of all children as well as giving gratitude towards their mothers, and has been renamed Kodomo no hi.

The Konibori make a wonderful addition to the garden throughout May.

Buy from:
Seaforth Garden Shop:
Fish Wind Socks, Windmills

Seaforth Garden Books:

Nature and Young Children, Feng Shui, Japanese Books.

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