2026-03-21
Ohigan: Honoring Ancestors at the Equinox
The sweet rice balls eaten during Ohigan are called 'botamochi' in spring, named after the peony (็กไธน, botan), and 'ohagi' in autumn, named after the bush clover (่ฉ, hagi).
Ohigan ni, kazoku to ohakamairi ni ikimasu. Soshite, botamochi o tabemasu.
During Ohigan, families visit graves. And, they eat botamochi.
Ohigan wa Shunbun no Hi o chลซshin to shita kikan de, senzo o kuyล suru tame ni hakamairi o shitari, botamochi o osonae shitari suru Nihon no shลซkan desu.
Ohigan is a period centered around the Vernal Equinox Day, and it's a Japanese custom to do things like visit graves and offer botamochi to honor one's ancestors.
Ohigan to iu meishล wa Bukkyล shisล ni yurai shi, shigan kara satori no kyลchi de aru higan e wataru koto o imi shimasu. Kono jiki ni kojin ni omoi o haseru no wa, senzo kuyล de aru to dลji ni, mizukara no ikikata o mitsumenaosu kichล na kikai to sarete imasu.
The name 'Ohigan' originates from Buddhist philosophy, signifying the crossing from this mortal shore (shigan) to the other shore of enlightenment (higan). Thinking of the deceased during this period is considered not only an act of ancestor veneration but also a valuable opportunity to reflect on one's own way of life.