Shichi-go-san Festival

Shichi-go-san is a traditional Japanese festival which celebrates the growth of children. It's name literally means "seven, five, three" because the festival is for three and seven year old girls and five year old boys. It is not a national holiday, so it is usually celebrated on the closest weekend to November 15th.

Boys and girls of the above ages usually dress in traditional kimonos and visit shrines. Families also gather together and have professional photos taken of the family in formal attire.

But what is the significance of these ages? Well, during the medieval times, children in Japan all had their heads shaven, I guess for sanitary reasons. At age three, girls stopped having their heads shaven and could grow out their hair. At age five, boys wore a hakama (which is the dress-like pants the boy is wearing in the picture above) in public for the first time. At age seven girls use an obi sash to tie their kimono instead of the cord used for younger girls.

After visiting the shrine, children are often given chitose-ame. Chitose means one thousand years and ame is candy. The candy is given as a parent's wish for a long and prosperous life for their children.