From February 19th (Monday), the 24 solar terms “Usui” will be introduced. This is the time when the first day of spring has passed and we are preparing for the arrival of full-fledged spring. Falling snow turns into rain, and accumulated snow and ice melts and turns into water.
The sometimes magical “spring haze”
The phenomenon in which distant objects appear blurry due to minute water droplets floating in the air, and the faint cloud-like appearance that appears at that time is called “haze.”
Although the phenomenon is the same as fog, we sometimes distinguish between it by calling it “haze” when it occurs in spring and “mist” when it occurs in autumn.
However, “haze” is not included in the meteorological terminology.
~Spring and the thin haze of a nameless mountain~
This is a haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), a haiku poet from the early Edo period. Looking at the thin mist that hangs over the nameless mountain, you can see that spring is in the air.
The haze that hangs over the foothills of mountains and lakes can sometimes be magical.
Feel the early spring in the “cat willow” on the riverbank
Pussy willow is a deciduous shrub belonging to the Salicaceae family, which produces dense silvery-white hairy flower spikes in early spring.
A flower spike is a stem or branch with flowers that bloom in clusters like a panicle, or the way the flowers are attached. Pussy willow’s flower spikes resemble a cat’s fur, which is why it got its name.
It is also called senryu (senryu) because it often grows near water such as riverbeds.
The haiku poet Seishi Yamaguchi (1901-1994) wrote the following poem.
~Takane Nekoyanagi renews the snow~
The silver-white fur of the nearby pussy willow shines, and perhaps the high mountains in the distance are covered in fresh snow and shine brightly. This haiku conveys the signs of spring and the harshness of the cold weather that tightens the body.
Are “tree buds” and “tree buds” the same?
What on earth is this headline? Riddle? Some people may have thought so.
Actually, the former “Konome” is written as “Konome,” and the latter “Konome” is written as “Kinome.”
If you read “Konome” for tree buds, it means the buds of trees in general (mainly new buds), and if you read “Kinome”, it means the buds (mainly new buds) of Japanese pepper.
In recent years, they are often used interchangeably, but in the past they were used separately.
No matter if the buds on the trees are wiped out or when you eat kinome-ae, there is one thing in common: you can feel early spring.
Is “Doll’s Festival” an event for girls?
March 3rd is the well-known Doll’s Festival. It is also called “Joshi no Sekku”.
In ancient China, there was a custom to purify oneself in the river on the day of the Snake in early March. This is Kamishi no Sekku, and is said to be the root of Hinamatsuri.
It is said that this festival was introduced to Japan during the Nara period, and eventually people began transferring impurity to dolls made of paper or straw instead of people, and then flushing them into the river.
As time passed, these dolls began to be displayed on doll stands, and the festival evolved into the Doll’s Festival.
March in the lunar calendar is also the season when peaches begin to bloom, which is why the other name “Peach Festival” was born.
Today, Doll’s Festival has become established as an event to pray for the healthy growth of girls.
However, until around the Muromachi period, it seems that it was a festival to pray for the health and safety of not only girls but also boys and adults.
It’s rainy season when the signs of spring are strong. It might be a good idea to take a walk while paying attention to the changes in the scenery.
» List of weather news articles
Reference materials etc.
Supervision/Keiko Yamashita: Writer. Books such as “24 solar terms and 72 seasons’ seasonal notebook” (Seibido Publishing) and “72 seasons of Japanese beauty” (PHP Institute) use the Japanese calendar as a theme to explore the beauty of the Japanese language and words. There are many books written by him.
2024-02-18 19:57:00
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