Unique Thousand Candles Light Up Japan During Vu Lan Festival

Next August, the night sky of Japan is brightly lit during the Obon festival (or Vu Lan festival) with sparkling street views from thousands of lanterns and flowers.
Unique thousand candles light up Japan during the Obon festival
There is a special time of the year when Japan suddenly becomes quiet. Uninhabited trains. The commercial center is quiet. The streets are filled with lanterns

. It was the time of the Obon festival, the summer festival of the Japanese, to welcome ancestral spirits back to their families, to pray and to pay homage to the merits of those who went ahead. Photo: Julianne.hide
Each region holds Obon festivals at different times.



In most of Japan, Obon usually takes place from August 13-16, known as Hazuki or "Month of the Leaves". In some regions of Tokyo and Okinawa, this holiday is held in mid-July of the lunar calendar. Photo: Natalya Erofeeva.

During the festival, thousands of lighted paper lanterns will be brought to the family tomb by people to call their ancestors' spirits home. This process is called mukae-bon. In some places, people also light torches along the entrance or hang lights in front of the gate. Photo: Kayaesra

Along with that, another tradition not to be missed when it comes to Obon festival is the folk dance Bon Odori.



This is a combination of many traditional dances and is performed in a sophisticated and elaborate manner. Bon Odori, according to legend, is performed as a means of expressing joy and happiness. Photo: Artem Mishukov, Julianne.hide, Pommy.
Bon Odori performed around the stage is called the yagura. Accordingly, one person will sing in the center of the yagura while the people around them play various musical instruments. The most commonly used taiko drums. This form of performance is called ondo or Japanese folk music.



Photo: Japanese Friendship Garden.
The dancers will dance in small circles around the yagura. Each region has its own dance. People who perform Bon Odori often form a circle around the yagura. The dance is sometimes performed in processions and moves through the streets of the town. Photo: Mathathir Mohd Yasin
Odon is not only a festival of dances, but also a festival of lights. On the last day of the festival, the night sky is lit up by thousands of lanterns, the river surface is sparkling with many flowers floating along the water. The Japanese believe that when the lit fire flies up to the sky, becoming a star, the soul of the deceased can go to heaven.



Photo: Pinterest.
According to Van Anh / Zing news
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