Sunday, May 10, 2009

命日(mei nichi)

Today is my mother's mei nichi (命日). Mei nichi (命日), literally means "life day" but actually means the anniversary of somebody's death. It's been 7 years since my mother passed away. I was in Europe when I heard that saddest news.

In Japan we have many memorial services after the death such as the first 7th day called shonanuka (初七日), the 49th day called shijyuku nichi (四十九日), the first year called isshuki (一周忌), the second year called sankaiki (三回忌), the seventh year, the thirteenth year, the seventeenth year, the twenty-third year, the twenty-seventh year, the thirty-third year, the thirty-seventh year, the fiftieth year, and the 100th year.

Today my father and I visited my mother's grave, we call this activity ohaka mairi (お墓参り).

Today is Mother's Day, in Japanese it is haha no hi(母の日). How I wish she is still alive!

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