昨日[きのう]は5月5日。日本[にほん]ではこどもの日という祝日[しゅくじつ] (= public holiday)でした。
It was 5 May yesterday. It was a public holiday called Children’s Day in Japan.
この日[ひ]、男[おとこ]の子[こ]の健[すこ]やかな(= fine)成長[せいちょう] (= growth)や幸[しあわ]せ(= happiness)を祈[いの]って(= to wish)、いろいろなことをします。(女の子の日については、前に書きました。) 例[たと]えば(= for example)、鯉[こい] (= carp)のようにたくましく育[そだ]ちますように、とこいのぼりをかざります。強[つよ]い大人[おとな]になりますように、と祈[いの]って、かぶと(= samurai warriors’ hat)をかざります。
さっき、このブログで、楽[たの]しいお料理[りょうり]を見[み]つけました。かぶとの形[かたち]をした春[はる]巻[ま]き(= spring rolls)です。かわいいし、おいしそうですね。
Although it is called “children’s day” it is the day for wising boys’ health and happiness. There is a day for girls separately–which is called “dolls’ festival (I wrote about this in this blog before).
The households where boys live do all sorts of things in regard to Childrens’ Day. For example they put up “koi-nobori”—this is a sort of banner shaped of koi-carp. We believe koi-carps are strong fish which can swim against the current in a river. For another example, parents display an ancient samurai warriors hat called “kabuto”.
I saw that somebody in Japan cooked spring rolls shaped “kabuto” yesterday. They look so cute and yummy. Are you interested?—please have a look at the photos on this page!