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Concept
Shichi-Go-San
Summary
is a traditional Japanese rite of passage and festival day for three- and seven-year-old girls, five-year-old and sometimes three-year-old boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. As it is not a national holiday, it is generally observed on the nearest weekend.
Shichi-Go-San is said to have originated in the Heian period amongst court nobles who would celebrate the passage of their children into middle childhood, but it is also suggested that the idea was originated from the Muromachi period due to high infant mortality. The ages 3, 5 and 7 are consistent with East Asian numerology, which holds that odd numbers are lucky. The practice was set to the fifteenth of the month during the Kamakura period.
Its meaning is to celebrate the survival of children, as infant and child mortality rates were higher in previous centuries.
Over time, this tradition passed to the samurai class who added a number of rituals.
The first of these ceremonies, for three year-olds, is called Kamioki, meaning "hair-leaving"; traditionally, from the period of seven days after birth until the age of three, a child's head would be kept shaved.
The second of these ceremonies, for five year-old boys, is called Hakamagi-no-Gi. Similar to the Western practice of breeching, this marked the first time a young boy would wear formal attire (a hakama and a haori), associated with roles and responsibilities.
The third ceremony is Obitoki-no-Gi, which is held for seven year-old girls. This ceremony marked the first time a young girl would wear an obi (a broad, stiff sash for a kimono) instead of simply wearing a kimono tied with attached strings or a lightweight, informal and scarf-like sash. Symbolizing the transition into womanhood, this practice began in the Kamakura period; originally, it was practiced for 9 year-old girls as well as boys, but in the Edo period transitioned into being performed for girls aged 7 only.
Official source
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