FUYU NO MATSURI

'Winter festivals'. No real distinction can be made between 'New Year' (shogatsu) and 'winter' (fuyu) festivals. Their themes include the welcoming of the sun (i.e. of spring); travel in a lucky direction for the coming year, typicallyhatsu-mode; prayers for and divination of a good harvest; expulsion of evil and securing of good influences. Not all winter festivals take place at shrines and the types that do often occur also at Buddhist temples. Shrine-based examples include the stabbing of an awa (a 2-metre wide white circle representing a 'false sun') at the Yashiro-jinja, Mie, on January 1st, and the kitcho-to-bannai-san parade at theIzumo taisha, Shimane on January 3, where marchers called bannai-san carry a large banner called kitcho (lucky omen). The ae-no-koto festival is held in villagers' homes in Ishikawa prefecture on December 5th. Farmers invite (ae) theta-no-kamiinto the house for a family celebration (koto) in the hope of a good harvest.