Autumnal Equinox Day |
| The equinox, the time when day and night are of equal length, occurs twice a year, around March 21st and September 23rd. In Japan, the day that falls on the autumnal equinox is called shubun-no-hi, and the day that falls on the vernal equinox is called shunbun-no-hi. Vernal Equinox Day and Autumnal Equinox Day are both designated as national holidays. Vernal Equinox Day and Autumnal Equinox Day also fall on the central day of a seven-day Buddhist memorial service called higan. Many Japanese people visit their family graves on those two days. |
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| higan Higan refers to the weeklong religious period when Buddhist memorial services are performed. Buddhism teaches that people have the opportunity to meet their ancestors during the higan period. For this reason, people perform memorial services for their ancestors throughout the period. |