June 26, 2007
News for Zenkaikon 2007:
Zenkaikon announces West Chester Obon Festival
WEST CHESTER, PA - Zenkaikon presents the first annual Obon Festival on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at Hoopes Park, 12:00pm to 4:00pm in West Chester, PA.
Come and receive a cultural education about Obon while having fun making Japanese crafts and enjoying festival foods like Onigiri, Okonomiyaki and Sushi. Watch the lantern lighting and Kendo demonstration.
Try your hand at Origami. Make and take a Samurai hat, a frog, a doll!
Bring your original Haiku or make one up on the spot for submission in the Obon Festival Haiku contest! The categories are Humor, Nature and Obon. One winner and one honorable mention will be chosen from each category.
Play the traditional Japanese games Darumasan ga koronda and Otedama!
Admission is $6.00 per person
For your convenience, tickets available through PayPal using ZenkaikonReg@Gmail.com and reference "Obon Festival". Tickets can also be purchased at the festival.
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Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors. It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors' spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.
Traditionally, lanterns are hang in front of houses to guide the ancestors' spirits, obon dances (bon odori) are performed, graves are visited and food offerings are made at house altars and temples.
At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes and seas in order to guide the spirits back into their world. The customs followed vary strongly from region to region.
Obon is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th day of the 7th month of the year, which is July according to the solar calendar. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2286.html
Darumasan ga koronda is a traditional Japanese children's game. Small bean bags are tossed and juggled in a game similar to jacks. Although it is mostly a social game, Otedama can be played either alone or in groups. It is rarely competitive and often accompanied by sing songs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darumasan_ga_koronda
Otedama is a traditional Japanese children's game. Small bean bags are tossed and juggled in a game similar to jacks. Although it is mostly a social game, Otedama can be played either alone or in groups. It is rarely competitive and often accompanied by sing songs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otedama#History
Presented by Zenkaikon
www.Zenkaikon.com
For more information about The Obon Festival and Zenkaikon 2007 please visit http://www.zenkaikon.com/obon.htm and/or email the Zenkaikon chair, Jackie Reitnauer, with any questions to Zenkaikon@gmail.com.
