Micro-Season: “Cold Wind Blows”

Aug 07 to Aug 11 is the micro-season “Cold Wind Blows”.  This is the first micro-season of the season of First Autumn. All the micro-seasons within First Autumn are:

• Cold Wind Blows (Aug 07 –  Aug 11)
• The Evening Cicada Sings (Aug 12 – Aug 16)
• Thick Fog Blankets The Sky (Aug 17 – Aug 22)

These seasons were established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. While they are specific to Japan, you can use these seasons as a starting point for exploring the natural world.

To celebrate this season, we will learn the O-Bon, or Bon, Festival and read haiku by Basho, Issa, Reichhold, and Kerouac.

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In the 72-season calendar, the transition to Autumn is indicated by the micro-season “Cold Wind Blows.” It’s important to note that this differs from both the astronomical calendar, where Autumn begins with the September Equinox, and the meteorological calendar, which designates September 01 as the start of Autumn.

The O-Bon Festival

As Autumn arrives, preparations are being made for the O-Bon Festival.  This festival is observed from the 13th to the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.  In 2023, the holiday will be celebrated from August 13 to 15.

The O-Bon Festival is sometimes compared to Mexico’s Day of the Dead.  The O-Bon Festival provides a time for the Japanese people to “welcome the spirits of their dead ancestors and rekindle their connections” with those that have passed.⁽²⁾ The festival is about 500 years old and has its roots in Buddhism.

The O-Bon Festival is inspired by the legend of a Buddhist monk named Maha Maudgalyayana.  Maudgalyayana was a disciple of the Buddha and had a supernatural power to see into the afterlife.  One day he discovered his deceased mother “had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts”.⁽¹⁾ Shaken by this realization, Maudgalyayana asked the Buddha how he could get his mother out of this realm. The Buddha told him that if he made many offerings to the monks that had just completed their summer retreat he would obtain redemption for his mother.  These summer retreats traditionally end on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.

Maudgalyayana followed the Buddha’s instructions and made many offerings to the other monks as they finished their retreat.  As a result of his efforts, Maudgalyayana’s mother was released from the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts.  Maudgalyayana was so happy by this that he danced with joy.  This dance became what is now known as the Bon Odori dance and it continues to be practiced today during the O-Bon Festival.^(1,2)

Beyond the Bon Odori Dance

The Bon Odori dance is just one of the ways people celebrate this day.  Some other ways people celebrate are:

• Visiting and cleaning the graves and tombs of relatives
• Donating items such as flowers, candles, incense sticks, and fruits to local temples.
• Releasing sky lanterns or having large bonfires on the last day of the festival.

Although the O-Bon Festival is focused on the dead it is not a scary festival.  Instead, it is described as fun with lots of dancing, music, and carnivals.

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Seasonal Haiku

Festivals and other cultural events often find their way into haiku and can be used as a seasonal reference.  In The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words as selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, cultural events are listed in the Observance category.  The “Bon Festival”, which is another way of referencing the O-Bon Festival, is listed here.  “Tanabata” (Weaver Star Festival), and the “Chrysanthemum Festival” (mid to late October depending on your location) are also listed.

In A Dictionary of Haiku, Jane Reichhold lists cultural events within the Occasion category.  Some relevant kigo are “All Saints’ Day”, “Thanksgiving”, and “Veterans’ Day”. 

Now with this in mind, let’s read some haiku!

Basho

the whole family--
all with white hair and canes
visiting graves
(translated by Jane Reichhold)

Festival of Spirits:
today too at the crematorium
smoke rises
(translated by David Landis Barnhill)

Issa

fires for the dead
soon enough they'll burn
for us
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

on the ancestors' altar
without fail
a lucky wind blows
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

Jane Reichhold

All Saints' Day
goblins and witches baptized
with holy names

thanks giving
the first cup of water
tipped to the earth

Jack Kerouac

Halloween colors
   orange and black
On a summer butterfly

This last one is a summer haiku. However, since it references Halloween I thought I would include it for this week.

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Haiku invitation

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu referencing an Autumn Festival.

Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your own page and link back to this post. I can’t wait to read what you write!  

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Thank You!

Resources:

1. “Bon (festival)”; Wikipedia
2. “Obon festival”; NationalToday.com
3. 72 Season App
4. “Bon Festival”; World Kigo Database

Basho’s and Issa’s haiku were retrieved from the World Kigo Database.  Jane Reichhold’s haiku were retrieved from A Dictionary of Haiku.  Jack Kerouac’s haiku was retrieved from Book of Haikus.