November 15 is known as shichi go san (七五三), literally means seven five three. It is a traditional annual festival in Japan for three and seven years old girls and three and five years old boys. It is not a national holiday, but generally observed on the nearest weekend.
On this day parents take their sons (3 years old and 5 years old) and daughters (3 years old and 7 years old) in exquisite kimono or suits to shrines to pray for their healthy growth.
Chitose-ame (千歳飴), literally thousand year candy, is given to children on this day. Chitose-ame is a long, thin, red and white candy, which symbolizes healthy growth and longevity. They are put in the paper bag with a crane and a turtle on it, which represent long life in Japan.
There is a saying tsuru wa sennen, kame wa mannen (鶴は千年、亀は万年), cranes live for 1,000 years and turtles live for 10,000 years.
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