obon

::: all throughout this island nation, august 13-16 signifies obon, an important event that combines festive pageantry and pilgrimmage on at least two levels:
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• on a social level, living family members return to their homes to spend time together, attend festivals with lots of dancing, singing and eating

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• on a sacred level, the spirits of non-living family members (ancestors) return to their homes to be reunited with living members

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...not surprisingly, obon finds varying expressions throughout japan...yet at its heart lies the motif of pilgrimmage cast in a motley of shintoism and buddhism...this point has touched home, when, in our conversations with japanese christians, we hear about the struggles that they have faced during obon, particularly when only one spouse is a believer and family honor is at stake...

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...from pastors to the pews, the pressure to conform is considerable and tacit oppression often becomes overt...

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...for a couple of introdutory articles on obon, see

http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/obonfestival.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival

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