'Haha-no-hi!' (Happy Mother's Day!) Children in Japan get up early in the morning and greet their mother with these words, on the mother's day. Sending or gifting cards is not much common as in other countries; mothers in Japan are greeted with flowers as a token of love and appreciation. Tradition of celebrating motherhood in Japan occurred during the showa period, when the birthday of Empress Kojun was celebrated on 6 March. However, many historians claim that the day was introduced by the Christian missionaries during 1913. Established by Imperial Women's Union in 1931, the festival spread all over the country around 1949. The kids buy gifts like, red flower cotton kimono or pink flower silk kimono, mother and baby kokeshi doll, feng shui happiness lucky cat, tenugui, and fragrance cards like the red geisha fan fragrance card. Events are held in various places to celebrate the day, with the Japanese style. Japanese style of celebrating mother's day is not very different but with their traditions and culture, it becomes unique. Read the below section and see how the Japanese celebrate, what is the special delicacy for this day, and so on…
Mother's Day Celebration in Japan
Mother's day or 'haha-no-hi' is celebrated with great pomp and gaiety in Japan. The word haha-no-hi is derived from the word hahaoya which means mother in Japanese. In Japan, mother's day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May like that is celebrated across the globe. But the history of mother's day in Japan dates back to the Showa period when mother's day commemorated the birthday of Empress Kojun (mother of Emperor Akihito). But in the modern Japan, the tradition of celebrating Mother's Day started in the year 1913 when Christians began celebrating mother's day there and by 1930's, the Japanese also started celebrating the day in large gatherings. But during the Second World War, when western customs were completely prohibited in Japan, the tradition of celebrating the mother's day came to a halt.
It was after the World War ended that the custom of celebrating haha-no-hi got revived and from then on it has been celebrated without fail. Nowadays it is a marketed holiday, and people typically give flowers, such as, carnations and roses as gifts. Other than holding public gatherings and special prayers, it is celebrated as a festival there. It has become an important date on the family calendar that it is considered one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants and all major shopping hubs. Above all, you see a shooting up of prices of flowers as flowers get a lot of prominence on mother's day.
In Japan, carnations are considered the most popular gifts. Carnations are considered as a symbol of mothers because of their sweetness, purity, and endurance. During mother's day, the Japanese shower their love for their mother in the form of beautiful carnations. On this day, you can find every super market filled with a lot of colorful flowers, all over Japan. Japanese kids often make cute crafts or draw pictures for their mothers on mother's day. Along with gifts, people of Japan also relish some Japanese delicacies with their mothers. Let's check out some.
Some Delicacies
Mother's food is always the best; we remember the taste and many a times inherit the cooking talent of our mother. Sushi, the most popular dish among Japanese and non Japanese is a good option to relish on the mother's day. Everyday dishes like, nimono (simmered dishes), tamagoyaki (rolled omlet), miso soup, chawanmushi (egg custard with the seeds of ginkgo), tofu, sashimi, and many others, as per your likes, also make for a perfect meal on the mother's day.
To give a tribute to all the mothers across the globe, mother's day is celebrated. Find how the Japanese celebrate their mother's day.