Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/323
‘banquet of the New Year,’ takes place on the 5th of January, and is one of the two national holidays which has no relation to ancestor-worship.
The fourth festival day is ‘Komei Tenno-Sai.’ This is the anniversary of the death of the august father of the Emperor, and is observed on the 30th of January. The ceremonies on this and other festival days being similar, it is unnecessary to give any further description.
The fifth festival, on the 11th of February, is called ‘Kigen-Setsu,’ or the anniversary of the accession of the first Emperor and the foundation of the Empire. After the ceremonies are performed at the sanctuary, a grand banquet is given in the palace to the Princes, foreign Ministers, high officials, and nobles.
The sixth festival occurs on the 20th of March, and is called ‘Shiunki-Kworei-Sai,’ or the ‘spring sacrifice to the spirits of the Imperial Ancestors.’ The ceremony of worship is also performed both in Kworei-Den and Shin-Den by the Emperor in person, attended by all the high officials of State.
The seventh festival day, ‘Jimmu-Tenno-Sai,’ is the 3rd of April, which is devoted to the worship of Jimmu-Tenno, for this day is the anniversary of the death of the first Emperor.
The eighth festival day is ‘Sgiuki Kworei Sai,’ or the ‘autumnal sacrifice to the spirits of Imperial Ancestors,’ which takes place on the 23rd of September. This corresponds to the ‘spring sacrifice,’ and the ceremonies are nearly identical.
The ninth festival, on the 17th of October, called ‘Shinsho-Sai,’ or ‘Kan-Name-Matsuri,’ has as its principal ceremony the offering of the first crop of the year to the First Imperial Ancestor.
On this occasion also the Emperor performs the ceremonies at the Imperial sanctuary, besides the ceremony called ‘Yo-hai,’ or the ‘distant worship’ of the First Imperial Ancestor at Ise. With the new crops, ‘the sacrifice of the first tribute,’ or ‘Nino-sakino-Nusa,’ the offering of silk, is made. This is the relic of the ancient practice of selecting the best portion of the ‘first cargo’ of the taxes, in kind, and offering it on the graves of the Imperial Ancestors.
The tenth festival day, ‘Tencho-Setsu,’ is the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor, and is the other of the two festivals not founded upon the worship of Imperial Ancestors.
The eleventh and last festival is ‘Shin-sho-Sai,’ or ‘Nii-Name-no-Matsuri,’ which takes place on the 23rd of November. The chief feature is the offering of new crops to the Imperial Ancestors, but this festival will be more fully dealt with in speaking of the accession of the Emperor to the throne.
All the festival days are annually observed as national holidays. National flags are hung from all the houses, women don their best attire, and the streets are thronged with holiday-