Shunbun No Hi (Vernal Equinox Day)

Shunbun No Hi or Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday celebrating the first day of spring in Japan. It is part of a seven-day period of festivals called Haru no Higan. Due to needing the most recent astronomical measurements, the date of the holiday is officially declared in February of the previous year.

In 1948, Shunbun No Hi became a secular holiday to comply with Japan’s postwar constitution call of the separation of religion and state. As a part of Haru no Higan, Shunbun No Hi pays tribute to ancestors with rituals that include visiting family grave sites and eating popular foods like botamochi, a traditional Japanese sweet.

Learn more about Shunbun No Hi by visiting the Coto Academy.