There are countless local festivals (matsuri) in Japan because almost every shrine celebrates one of its own. Most festivals are held annually and celebrate the shrine's deity or a seasonal or historical event. Some festival are held over several days.
Hina Matsuri or Doll festival
The Hina Matsuri or doll festival known as girls day falls on March 3rd but however the celebration starts much earlier from late February itself. During his festival a doll is made and is put in a river to go or to sail away. This is done for getting rid of the bad luck and impurities from a girl child so that their daughters will grow up to be healthy and happy .The display starts when the girl is even one year old and this first display is called as hatsu zekku.There is also a superstition associated with this doll festival for one should put away the doll before the festival is over otherwise their daughters will become old maids. Usually in Hina Matsuri display of a prince and princess takes place. But the displays at times are more elaborate where along with the dolls candy, rice boiled with red beans, white sake, peach blossoms, diamond shaped rice cake, toys, and tiny furniture. Some people even pass their dolls from one generation to the next where the bride carries it with her to the groom�s house. In the later course of the festivals the Japanese go to view the peach blossoms and even drink and have a bath in it for the blossoms signifies feminine qualities like serenity, gentility, and equanimity.
Bon Festival or O-bun Festival
This traditional Bon festival which was introduced in the seventh century is basically of Buddhist origin and falls on August 15th .This festival is celebrated to welcome the ancestors' souls back home for the souls are believed to return home on this day. People working anywhere away from home on the Bon day come back to their home and visit the graves of relatives. The whole town will be brightly illuminated with lanterns to guide the souls of the dead to and from their homes. Sometimes the lanterns are made to float down in the river. The people also offer food for the ancestor in front of the altars and pray for their soul to rest in peace. According to astrology the festival is celebrated with Bon Odori (folk dancing) to welcome their ancestor's souls. The end of the festival is highlighted by floating paper lantern to bid good bye to the ancestors' souls.
Japanese Harvest Festival
The Japanese harvest festival is a major festival of this country and usually takes place around January 15 th first full moon of the year. This festival s celebrated with different rituals and customs in different parts of the country. This festival is also called as Koshogatsu which means "Small New Year" and is celebrated as a huge feast with dances and procession. There was an old belief in Japan where the harvested rice could not be eaten until after a festival in honor of the rice spirit is held. The main events of Koshogatsu involves performing rites and prayers for a good harvest in the coming years and also thanks giving for the present harvest. The first fruits of the paddy field are offered to the gods. Even the emperors of Japan as a matter of thanks giving offer the new grain and its products to the God. The celebration involves where the Kimono-clad girls, with their sleeves tied back with red sashes, plant the rice, while musicians perform drums, flutes, and bells standing nearby. This dance is evolved as a part of the noh theater. There are parades held in the streets where the folks carry idols of symbolic gods. There is also another custom or festival related to harvest festival which is observed on September 15 th and is called as tsukimi or Moon-viewing on the full moon day. A table is set in such a way so that we can view the moon rising and pray to the spirit of the moon. The offerings on the table include seven grasses of autumn, cooked vegetables and tsukimi dango or moon-viewing dumplings made out of rice flour. There is also another traditional festival, Yagan Orimi happening in Aguni which is a small island near Okinawa. During this festival people visit the island and pray for a good harvest and also for a safe delivery of their infants. This festival is considered as a national holiday and is accompanied by singing, dancing and waving of fans and at midnight the Japanese emperor offers the first fruits of autumn at a special altar.
Nebuta Matsuri Festival
The people of Japan celebrate the festival of Nebuta Matsuri with great enthusiasm and is said to have originated from a place called Aamori and usually falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Old Japanese Calendar. The story behind this festival is to wake up the sleepy farmers just before the approaching days of harvest. The grand event of this festival is the parade of huge floats with lanterns of varying sizes which are colourful and made of bamboo frames and is brightly lit. These floats are usually designed in the shape of samurai warriors portraying famous historical generals or characters from Kabuki plays. Nearly 20 floats take part in the procession and cover a total area of 2.5 kilometer. On the last day of the festival best of the whole is awarded. There are men and women in colourful attire on the floats dancing for the tunes of drums and the flute.
