obon

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom that is celebrated each summer, where the particulars differs between different parts of Japan. My wife explains it as a three day celebration of the spirits of ancestors who during these days come back to visit graves and house altars, and the living relatives offer food and sake and incense to them. My wife has vivid childhood memories of the first day of obon going to the shrine close to where she lived, lighting incense and bringing it home to the house altar, showing the way to the spirits of the ancestors. The last day she did the opposite; helped them to go back. She also says the sea plays a big part in this festival, where sometimes small boats with fire is sent out and the celebration is especially meaningful and important at certain years after a close one has passed away. On this day it is best not to swim in the sea, my wife says. There are many dead people’s spirits there.

Obon has become a family summer holiday in Japan and usually many people visit their parents, grandparents and or birthplaces during obon. Many times obon can be the only time of the year when grandparents meet their grandchildren if they do not have the possibility to visit during the New Year celebration; with the pandemic though, people take great care not to travel these days. Recently I find myself thinking a lot about the lonely elderly parents and grandparents and what the corona pandemic has done to them, many of whom have not seen their loved ones for two years now and with the pandemic being the worst it has been in Japan since the beginning it may well be three years before they meet. How I wish that things will change and that we can visit my parents in Sweden soon (they have not met our son yet and I have not seen them for almost three years); how grateful I am that we are now living close to my wife’s parents and that my son can play with them.

Celebrating and honoring one’s dear ancestors is a beautiful concept to me. During obon I have been sitting in front of the dining room window after managing to put our son to sleep, looking at the torrential rain hammering the bamboos and forming a little river on the road next to our house, thinking about my ancestors, my loved ones, thinking about life and death, what I wish for our son, what I wish for our family; how I want us to remember where we all came from and take the beautiful memories with us to where we are going. Last night my dear dear grandmother came to visit me in my dream. It was so real, I could feel her presence, and I could see her smile at our little family. How happy she would have been, had she had the chance to meet my lovely wife and son – she would also have loved them.

PS. This is apparently post number 100, something to celebrate I think! If you are a regular reader, why don’t you say a little hello in the comments below?!