Tuesday, February 23, 2010

二月二十三日(nigatsu nijyusan nichi) : February 23

Today is Crown Prince's 50th birthday. Happy Birthday!!

In Japan we have a special celebration at the age of 3, 5, 7, 20, 60, 70, 77, 80, 88, 90, 99, 100, 108, 110, 111, and 120. On November 15, girls of 3 years old and 7 years old, boys of 3 years of and 5 years old are celebrated. This is called shichi go san (7-5-3).
Being 20 means being an adult, and on the second Monday of January there is a celebration called seijin no hi (成人の日), Coming-of-Age Day. It is one of the national holidays.
Being 60 is called kanreki (還暦). The sexagenarian cycle is completed at the age of 60 and we return to the zodiac sign of the birth years. We wear a red vest on this day. Red is aka (赤) in Japanese. Aka-chan(赤ちゃん) is baby in Japanese. So we return to the baby at the age of 60.
70 years old is called koki (古希), 77 year old is kiju (喜寿), 80 years old is sanju (傘寿), 88 years old is beiju (米寿), 90 years old is sotsuju (卒寿), 99 years old is hakuju (白寿). 100 years old is hyakuju (百寿), 108 years old is chaju (茶寿), 110 years old is chinju (珍寿), 111 years old is koju (皇寿), and 120 years old is daikanreki (大還暦).

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