During the "Obon" period, Japanese people spend time together with their ancestors' spirits. We observe Obon in mid-August in our region.

Every year, our family gathers in my grandmother's house. All our relatives perform various rites for the ancestors' spirits together. ^^ Our tradition is to visit our ancestors' grave and light a paper lantern to attract the ancestors' spirits home.

This is a photo of animals made of straw and other ornaments, which are unique to Obon! We display a horse for the ancestors to ride home as quickly as possible, and a cow is to enable them to back to the other side slowly!

In the photo, the cow is on the left and the horse is on the right! On the rear right are thinly minced cucumber and egg plants. These were cut small so that the ancestors can eat them easily after suffering from hunger in the other world. The flower on them is called Misohagi (Lythrum anceps), which drives evil spirits away.

We used to make the horse using a cucumber and the cow using an eggplant when I was a child.
Recently, these straw ones are sold in shops, so we bought them this year!
When we finish Obon every year, I feel it is the end of summer. I look forward to welcoming the ancestors during the Obon period again next year. (^-^)/