Shichi-Go-San (七五三), "Seven-Five-Three," is a rite of passage for young children, celebrated in mid-November, when families dress their three-, five-, and seven-year-olds in fine traditional clothes and take them to a shrine to give thanks for their growth and pray for their continued health. It is one of the gentlest and most photogenic events of the Japanese year.
The meaning of the numbers
The festival marks specific ages tied to old customs of childhood. Historically these were milestones on the passage out of infancy — around age three, both boys and girls were allowed to begin growing their hair; at five, boys first wore the hakama, the formal pleated trousers; at seven, girls first tied their kimono with a proper obi sash instead of a child's cord. The odd numbers three, five, and seven are considered lucky, and in an age of high infant mortality, reaching them was a genuine cause for gratitude and celebration.
The visit and the sweet
On or around November 15, children are dressed up, girls in bright kimono, boys in hakama and haori jackets, or sometimes Western formal wear, in their hare-gi (晴れ着), "clothes for a special day." The family visits a shrine, where a priest may perform a blessing, and almost always takes formal photographs to mark the occasion. The emblem of the day is chitose-ame (千歳飴), "thousand-year candy": a long, thin, red-and-white stick of sweet candy, sold in a decorated bag, whose length symbolises a wish for a long and healthy life. Children carry it proudly, a sugary token of the hope the whole festival expresses.
Words & idioms to take away
Idioms & proverbs to carry away
-
千歳飴 (chitose-ame): "thousand-year candy," the long red-and-white sweet given at Shichi-Go-San; its length is a wish for a long life.
-
晴れ着 (haregi): "clothing for a bright/formal occasion," the fine kimono or outfit worn on celebratory days like Shichi-Go-San; from hare, the sense of the formal, auspicious, and public.