Bon Stove (bongama)

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Bon Stove (bongama)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Early Autumn
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Read the general explanation about the kigo Bon Festival (o-bon)

Druing the bon holidays, elder girls constructed a stove (kamado 竈) outside and prepared some simple rice dishes for the younger girls. The elder ones, 14 and older, would do the cooking while the younger ones would chase away the nosy young boys.

The girls of exactly 14 years of age (being now available for marriage) did not use any underwear (koshimaki) on that day, so it was a kind of "Coming of age" ceremony. After the festival they got their own waist belt (koshimaki) and were considered a woman.

The girls cooked rice with red beans, lily roots or mixed vegetables.

In some areas, the stove and a little hut were built at a crossroads, where the children would later eat (tsujimeshi). Souls of people who had died without anyone coming to get them for this o-bon festival could be lingering at the crossroads and were invited to participate in the meal.

Since children were considered close to the deities, the hungry ghosts did not harm them. The young girls connected this world 此岸 with the next 彼岸 world of the gods.

Gabi Greve

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Other expressions with this kigo:

bon stove bongama 盆竈
cooking rice at the crossroads, tsujimeshi　辻飯
..... bon no mamagoto 盆のままごと

bon rice, bon mama 盆まま
..... (O-mama is a children's word for rice.)
..... bon meshi 盆飯
rice for the hungry ghosts, gaki meshi 餓鬼飯
rice for the souls, shooryoo meshi 精霊飯

bon hut, bongoya　盆小屋

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A bon stove at the side of the river in a mountain village



http://blog.kakinet.ne.jp/


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

盆竈に水汲み置きし桶一荷

carrying water
for the bon stove -
one heavy bucket
(Tr. Gabi Greve)

井上康明 Inoue Yasuakira
http://sendan.kaisya.co.jp/ikkubak_0802.html


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Related words

***** Bon Festival (o-bon)



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