Yesterday the 7th grade students did the HAST version of a traditional Obon festival. Japanese Obon is very similar to the Day of the Dead. ??? ???? ????? They believe that the spirits of their ancestors come back to our world for three days. It is a happy time full of dancing and other festivities. ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?????
Obon ends with a custom called Toro Nagashi which is when lanterns are made and sent into the water. The lanterns contain messages to the deceased and are believed to send the spirits back to their world.
For the HAST version we learned and performed a coal miner’s dance and made our own Toro Nagashi lanterns. ????? ??? ?????? ????????? Since we did not have water, the students carried their lanterns in a silent parade around the middle school.
Through this the students were able to connect to both the teaching of Japanese customs and cultures from their Global Studies class and the festivals and activies from their novel Orchards.