St Joseph's Nudgee College

June 7, 2011

St Joseph’s Nudgee College Year 5-7 students received a practical lesson in Japanese culture recently when they participated in “Boys Day” activities.

Tango-no-Sekku (the Boys’ Festival) is held in Japan on May 5 each year with families celebrating healthy growth and development of young boys. It is also the day for children to express their gratitude for the tender love and care they receive from their parents.

In Japan, one of the most visible aspects that the day is approaching is the flying of large, multi-coloured Koi-Nobori, carp-like streamers made of paper or cloth, which fill with wind and seem to swim in the air. Together with long red and white ribbons, the carp are hoisted on a bamboo pole, mounted by a pair of gilded pinwheels and hung high above the rooftops from late April until early May.

A carp is flown for each son in the family, a very large one for the eldest, the others ranging down in size. Each carp is also a different colour to represent a son’s birth order within the family.

The carp has become the symbol of the Boys' Festival because the Japanese consider it the most spirited of fish, so full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running streams and cascades. Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals.

Although somewhat smaller than those flown in Japan, Year 5-7 students made fish on the day that they attached to poles. As per Japanese custom the students wore different coloured shirts to represent their birth order of male siblings within their family and painted their fish in the same colour. First born son’s wore blue shirts, second son’s wore green, third son’s wore orange and fourth son’s wore purple. If a student was a fifth son or later they were allowed to wear any colour.

Students also participated in cultural activities that were run by Year 11 and 12 Japanese students including a Japanese sports day, games of the dice game Cho-Han and an activity that allowed them to learn how to use chopsticks. The event concluded with a Japanese lunch where students got to put their chopstick skills into practise.
 

Image Gallery

Click an image to see a full version: