What is Shichi-Go-San?
Every year on November 15th families who have girls who are 3 and 7 years old or have boys who are 5 (and sometimes 3) years old celebrate Shichi-Go-San. Families will take their child to a local temple or shrine and pray for good health for their children as they grow up. It’s a holiday meant for parents to celebrate and pray for the health and future of their children.
Shichi-Go-San isn’t a national holiday, so parents and children don’t always have time off from work and school. This means that a lot of people celebrate on the nearest weekend to November 15th. While most people go in November at some point, many shrines will accept Shichi-Go-San visitors in October as well.
Why Is It Celebrated on the 15th?
There are a few reasons that the 15th was selected as the date for such a celebration. The Number 3, 5, and 7 are auspicious in East Asian culture because odd numbers are typically considered lucky. The 15th of November is also odd, and 15 is the sum of 3, 5, and 7. Another reason the 15th made such a good date is because it is kishukunichi. The jisho.org definition of kishukunichi (鬼宿日) is ““day of the ghost” (an extremely fortunate day on the lunar calendar for everything but weddings)”. The kanji are ghost, inn, and day, which means it’s the day that ghosts and demons stay inside, which seems like a pretty good day to celebrate your children’s health.
History of Shichi-Go-San
The practice of celebrating children making it to a certain age is believed to have first started during the Heian Period (794-1185) among the nobles. It eventually spread to the samurai class as well. During the Edo period (1603-1868) the celebration continued to spread throughout the region to include the commoners as well, and the date was solidified as being on November 15th.
The celebration’s origin has to do with the fact that, in the past, children commonly died early and often, as diseases and sudden illnesses were not well understood at the time. The sudden death of children was explained in a way that until age 7, children were not exactly human, but more part of the gods worlds. As such, the gods could take them away at any time.
People didn’t even add babies to the family registry until age 3. Finally, by age 7, children were fully considered a part of society. Each milestone age was not just a celebration, but also a chance for ritual purification and prayer for future health.
Kamioki
The first of the old ceremonies for Shichi-Go-San is known as kamioki (髪置き), whose kanji means “hair” and “keep”. After this ceremony, children would be allowed to grow their hair out. Before age 3, boys and girls alike would have their hair cut short or shaved. In the past, babies would have their head shaved after being just seven days old. It was then keep short until the kamioki ceremony.
Hakamagi No Gi
At age 5, boys wear a hakama for the first time. Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing that go over a kimono. Hakama are pleated and tie at the waist, which then extend down to the ankles. There are two kinds, ones that are divided and cover each leg individually, like trousers, and ones that are undivided.
Obitoki No Gi
At age 7, young girls replace the cord used to tie their kimono with an obi. Obi are wide sashes/belts worn around the waist and are more decorative and difficult to tie than the simple cord. This, along with the other two ceremonies, represent the child taking another step toward adulthood.
Age Calculations Closer to 2 4 6?
It is interesting that, while the holiday is explicitly called Shichi-Go-San, a.k.a. 7-5-3, most children are not those ages, at least not in the way we calculate age today. Many people still use the traditional way of calculating age for Shichi-Go-San, known as kazoedoshi.
Using this method, babies are 1 at birth rather than 0, and instead of aging on their birth date, they do so at the start of the New Year. For example, if a baby is born on June 20th, then they would be 1 at birth, but by the New Year, less than 6 months old at that point, their age would be 2.
How Shichi-Go-San Is Celebrated Today
Most people don’t adhere to the three ceremonies as strictly anymore. The focus is more on visiting the shrine, giving thanks and praying for their children’s future. Children still get dressed, but not always in traditional wear. Many girls still wear kimono, but boys less so, with many kids now dressing up in a western style instead. Although with the recent popularity of the anime Demon Slayer, some boys are more interested in wearing the traditional clothes.
Since the children get dressed up, parents also often take pictures or have professional photography done. If you visit any shrines or temples around this holiday, then you’re likely to see many children with their parents taking pictures and celebrating Shichi-Go-San.
Chitose Ame – Thousand Year Candy
Along with the prayers and dressing up, children also receive candy called chitoseame (千歳飴), which essentially means “thousand year candy”. Chistoseame are red and white sticks of sugar and they come in long bags that are decorated with pictures of cranes, turtles, pine trees, plum blossoms and all sorts of things that represent longevity. Even the red and white colors are considered lucky. The candy is normally given by the parent or grandparents of the child as a symbol of their wish that their child lives a long and healthy life.
