Folk culture in edo period

Japan calls it "Young Sacrifice", also known as "Peach Blossom Festival". Every year on March 3rd, parents celebrate a festival for girls. At that time, they dressed the girls in bright kimonos and put dolls at home, wishing them to get rid of bad luck and disasters, grow up happily, and take the girls to visit relatives and friends and go out to play. There is also the custom of "drifting young" in the Kansai region, where "little people" are put into the river to drift with the tide and wash away bad luck. Japanese customs and important programs

(1) customs and habits

Japan is called "the country of etiquette", and it is the custom of the Japanese people to pay attention to etiquette. When people meet, they usually bow to each other and say "hello", "goodbye", "please take care of me" and so on.

Japanese people attach great importance to exchanging business cards when they meet for the first time. Not only is it impolite to meet for the first time without a business card, but the other party will think you are unsociable. When handing business cards to each other, you should bow first and hand them in both hands. After receiving the other party's business card, read it carefully to see the identity, position and company of the other party, and nod your head to show that you know the other party's identity. Japanese people think that business cards represent a person, and treat them as if they were themselves. If you take a business card and put it in your pocket without reading it, it is considered rude. If you want to attend a business negotiation meeting, you must give your business card to everyone in the room and accept their business card. You can't leave out anyone. Although it takes a lot of time, it is a way to express mutual friendship and respect.

When visiting a Japanese family, you should make an appointment with the host in advance and ring the bell to announce your name before entering the door. If there is no doorbell in this house, don't knock, but open the sliding door on the door and ask, "Excuse me, is there anyone inside?" After entering the door, you should take the initiative to take off your clothes and hat, take off your scarf (but even if the weather is hot, you can't just wear a vest or barefoot, otherwise it's rude), put on spare slippers and give your own gifts to your host. When you sit in a room, it is polite to sit with your back to the door. Only under the persuasion of the host can you move to a distinguished position (distinguished position refers to the seat with various works of art and decorations in front of the niche, which is specially prepared for VIPs). Japanese people are not used to letting guests visit their houses, so don't ask to look around. Japan is particularly taboo for men to break into the kitchen. You have to ask the owner's permission to go to the toilet. When eating, if you don't know how to eat a certain meal, you should ask the owner's advice and turn your chopsticks around when you are holding vegetables. When saying goodbye, let the guests ask first and thank the host. When you return to your residence, you should call the other party and tell them that you have returned safely. Thank you again. Don't forget to express your gratitude when you see your host again after a while.

When the Japanese hold a banquet to propose a toast, they often put a bowl full of clear water in the middle of the table and put a clean white gauze in front of everyone. Before pouring wine, the host will rinse his glass with clear water, press the cup mouth down on the gauze, let the water droplets be sucked up by the gauze, then fill the wine and hand it to the guests with both hands. After drinking, guests do the same to show the friendship and intimacy between the host and the guests. This is the traditional way of toasting.

Whether visiting relatives and friends or attending banquets, Japanese people always bring gifts, and a family spends 7.5% of its income on gifts every month. When visiting Japanese families, you must bring gifts. Japanese people think that giving gifts is much more meaningful than saying "thank you", because it is to express gratitude with practical actions. When giving gifts to Japanese people, we should master the "sense of value", and the gifts should not be too heavy or too light. If it is too heavy, he will think what you want from him, and thus infer that your goods or services are not good; If it is too light, it will be considered that you look down on him. Generally, it is more appropriate to take some packaged food when visiting Japanese families, but don't send flowers, because some flowers are used for courtship or funeral. Japanese people pay attention to the decoration of gifts. Gifts should be wrapped in several layers and tied with beautiful ribbons or paper ropes. The Japanese believe that there is a soul in the knot, indicating the sincerity of the giver. People who receive gifts usually give them back. Japanese people don't open gifts in front of guests, mainly to avoid embarrassment because of the discomfort of gifts. Japanese people don't mind giving gifts they don't need to others. Japanese people generally don't use even numbers to give gifts. This is because the "four" in even numbers is the same as death in Japanese. In order to avoid bad luck, "four" is not used in many occasions. Over time, even the second, fourth and sixth figures are simply not given. They like to pronounce singular numbers, especially the three singular numbers of three, five and seven. But "nine" should also be avoided, because "nine" and "bitter" have the same pronunciation in Japanese.

There are many traditional gift-giving seasons in Japan, and the value and types of gifts are different in different gift-giving seasons. Nianguan is the biggest gift-giving season, and food is the main food in Yuanhe Nianguan, and the proportion of non-food in other festivals is quite high. In the gift season, it is often a good time to promote some goods. Examples of gift values and types in each gift season are as follows:

(l) Mid-Autumn Festival (July 15). The gift value is 3000 ~ 10000 yen, with an average of 5 120 yen. The types of gifts include candy, wine, dairy products, cooking oil, coffee, tea, shirts, scarves and gift certificates.

(2) At the end of the year. The gift value is 5000 ~ 10000 yen, with an average of 5520 yen. There are food, wine, tea, coffee, cooking oil, shirts, wool blankets and so on.

(3) get married. The gift value is 2 ~ 65438+ million yen (invited to the wedding) or 3000 ~ 10000 yen (not attending the wedding). Gifts include electric kettle, toaster, microwave oven, slippers, pajamas, handbags, etc.

(4) Adult (20 years old).

Gift value1~ 20,000 yen. There are belts and cufflinks. Tie clip, cosmetics, clothing and accessories, purses, shoes, etc.

(5) Valentine's Day. The gift value is 400 ~ 1000 yen. There are sweets and biscuits, and women give men chocolates.

(6) Mother's Day. The gift is worth 3000 ~ 5000 yen. There are cosmetics, flowers, clothes and so on.

(7) Father's Day. The gift value is 5000 ~ 10000 yen. There are clothes, ties, collar clips, socks, lighters and other accessories.

(8) Christmas. The gift value is 5000 ~ 20000 yen. There are toys, clothing accessories, amusement equipment, precious metals, sporting goods, CDs and so on.

(2) Important festivals

There are 14 national holidays and 5 important holidays in Japan, which are briefly introduced as follows:

New Year's Day: 65438+ 10/. According to the general custom in Japan, it is necessary to clean up before New Year's Eve, hang a straw rope at the door, insert oranges (called "paper string"), and place pine, bamboo and plum (called "Mensong", which has been replaced by pictures) in front of the door for good luck. On New Year's Eve, the whole family get together for dinner and listen to the "New Year's Eve bell" at midnight. Eat rice cake soup (called "miscellaneous cooking") on New Year's Day morning.

Adult Day: 65438+ 10 month 15. On this day, young men and women who have reached the age of 20 should put on festive costumes and participate in adult ceremonies and celebrations organized by governments at all levels for them.

Date of establishment: February 1 1. According to Japanese mythology, Emperor Jimmu unified Japan and established Japan in February 660 BC 1 1.

Girls' Day

Japan calls it "Young Sacrifice", also known as "Peach Blossom Festival". Every year on March 3rd, parents celebrate a festival for girls. At that time, they dressed the girls in bright kimonos and put dolls at home, wishing them to get rid of bad luck and disasters, grow up happily, and take the girls to visit relatives and friends and go out to play. There is also the custom of "drifting young" in the Kansai region, where "little people" are put into the river to drift with the tide and wash away bad luck.

Equinox: March 2 1. It's a day when emperors worship their ancestors and ordinary people worship their ancestors.

Arbor Day: April 29th.

Constitution Day: May 3rd. Commemorating the implementation of Japan's Constitution 1947 on May 3rd.

National Day: May 4th.

Boys' Day (also known as Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival): May 5th. On this day, the big cloth carp (called "carp flag") hangs in front of the family with a son. Japan regards May 5th of the solar calendar as the Dragon Boat Festival. Dragon Boat Festival and Boys' Day are the same day, so every household sticks calamus leaves on the door, hangs Zhong Kui's exorcism picture in the house, and eats cakes (called "cypress cakes") or zongzi.

Meng Lan Basin Festival (Japan)

It was introduced to Japan from China in the 7th century. In 675 AD, Emperor Qi Ming paid homage to his parents, and it became a palace festival. Later, it spread widely among the people, similar to the Ghost Festival in July 15 of the China lunar calendar. Japan used to hold activities on July 15 of the lunar calendar every year, and later changed it to July 15 of the solar calendar to mourn the death of relatives and friends, worship ancestors, sweep graves, and sometimes hold "basin dance" and other mourning activities. This is one of the main popular folk festivals in Japan, and now it has become a festival for city people to go back to their hometown to meet their relatives and friends.

Ghosts'Festival

Also in July of 15, it was a festival to worship agricultural land gods in ancient times, and now it is a day to worship ancestors in combination with Yulan Festival. At this time, give gifts to relatives, friends, elders and people who give benefits. Now even gifts are given between units or individuals. This kind of gift is called "Zhongyuan" and has become a new custom.

Respect for the elderly: September 15. Cities, towns and villages gather to celebrate and give souvenirs to the elderly.

Equinox: September 23rd. It is the day when the emperor worships his ancestors in autumn.

Sports Festival: 10 June 10. 1964 Commemorating the opening of the18th International Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Cultural Festival:165438+1October 3rd. People who have made outstanding contributions to cultural undertakings are awarded the "Cultural Medal" on this day.

753

It is a traditional festival for Japanese society and families to bless children aged 7, 5 and 3 on 1 15 every year. It began in Heian period, when a noble family held a celebration ceremony for a 5-year-old boy. In the Kamakura and Muromachi era, it developed into a ceremony in which ministers or ministers dressed two or three-year-old boys in kimonos. After the middle period of Edo, the present custom was formed. Every day, parents bless boys and girls, pray for the gods to bless their healthy growth, put on beautiful kimonos for them, take them to visit the shrine, register them, and issue badges to their children, indicating that they can begin to participate in some social activities.

Hard-working Thanksgiving Day:165438+1October 23rd.

If you go to Japan for business, the time to avoid in a year is between 65438+ in mid-February and 65438+ in mid-October of the following year/kloc-0 (Spring Festival at the end of the year), from April 29th to May 5th (during the Golden Week holiday, Japanese people usually go out to travel and many shops are closed), and from July to August (during this period, businessmen will go on holiday).