May 5th Is Traditional Boy's Festival Day In Japan

Today, May 5th is Boys’ Festival Day in Japan, and now it is also a national holiday called “Children’s Day”.
For this seasonal event, many parents who have boys display traditional decorations to wish their boys’ success and promotion in future. 

In contrast to Girls’ Festival Day, which people display beautiful dolls set for their girls to wish their happy marriage as I introduced on March 3rd, people display decorative Samurai armor set which are special dolls representing historical heroes as symbols of strength/success, or carp shaped wind streamers (Koinobori in Japanese) on Boys’ Festival Day. The carp shaped wind streamers (Koinobori) is also a symbol of success. There is a story in a Chinese legend about a carp who successfully swam up a big fall and became a dragon to fly away into the sky, and therefore carps are considered as a symbol of promotion.

Apparently this seasonal event was originally imported from China in the 3rd century BC. After coming to Japan it was mixed with Japanese customs and became Boys' Festival Day. Especially after the 12th century, as Samurai society in Japan and the society became more significant, this event became also important. People probably wished their boys to be stronger and their family will be prosperous.

However, today many people live in small houses or condos/apartments in big cities, and they don't have enough space for these decorations especially carp shaped wind streamers (Koinobori) which traditionally requires a yard to erect a big pole. As a solution, some communities recently started to display many of the wind streamers (Koinobori) in public parks or river side fields, from donations from people who can't display them at home. It would be a good way to avoid wasting Koinobori handed down in each family and have a good seasonal event in communities.