What is "Shichi-Go-San?"

In our diverse world, there are many celebrations and honored traditions. In this article, I’d like to explore the distinct practice of the Shichi-Go-San Festival.

In Japan, on November 15th, there is a popular festival called “Shichi-Go-San", translating to seven five three, and it is one of the most celebrated festivals for children. Girls aged three and seven, and boys aged five dress up on this day in traditional clothing, which are kimono for girls and haori jackets as well as hakama trousers for boys. These particular ages are celebrated due to the cultural notion that odd numbers are lucky. The family then visits a Shinto shrine to pay homage to the tutelary deity and pray for a continued happy and healthy future for the child. After this, the parents usually purchase “chitose-ame” which is a red and white candy that is shaped like a long stick. The name of this candy translates to “a thousand years” and comes in a bag with turtle and crane illustrations, both of which are cultural symbols for a long life. The name of this candy, the bag, and even the color red that is considered to be lucky, are expressions of the parent’s wish that their child lives an abundant life. This festival was chosen to be celebrated on the 15th because the sum of seven, five, and three is fifteen, therefore the 15th was considered to be a fortunate and appropriate day for this celebration.

The root of the Shichi-Go-San celebration lies in the Muromachi era, where due to the high infant mortality rate, children weren’t recognized in the family register until they reached the age of 3. Three-year-olds celebrated the kamioki ceremony, in which they were allowed to grow out their hair. It is important to note that there was an established practice of shaving a baby’s head, regardless of their gender, a week after its birth and keeping it that way until they reached three years of age. This was due to the belief that this practice would encourage better hair growth later on. Therefore, in this kamioki ceremony, the hair was left to grow radiantly.

From there, the next ‘lucky’ numbers five and seven were celebrated, and this became a standard practice in the samurai society, gaining popularity and spreading throughout the country.

In this modern day, these celebrations aren’t carried out as frequently anymore, oftentimes with families only visiting shrines to show appreciation and pray for the child’s future. Another common activity is for families to have their children photographed in studios, dressed up in finery, and those pictures sent out to friends and family.

The absence of formal observance of celebrations for this festival is also part of the excitement; each family gets to celebrate this day in their own way.

Biblilography

Cover image:

“2,100+ Shichi Go San Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - IStock.” Www.istockphoto.com, www.istockphoto.com/photos/shichi-go-san.

“Shichi-Go-San | Japan Experience.” Www.japan-Experience.com, www.japan-experience.com/plan-your-trip/to-know/understanding-japan/shichi-go-san.

‌ “Shichi-Go-San - Calendar 11 - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan.” Web-Japan.org, 2019, web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/november/shichigosan.html.