Celebrating the Child: Kodomo no Hi in Seattle
At the end of Kodomo no hi I am marveling at how many people are here to celebrate, at how many activities the Center has planned for the kids. I count on the event brochure: there are twenty partner organizations involved, including local businesses, community groups, performing arts groups.
This Is What It Means To Say Hanami in Seattle
I’m a JA girl who celebrates Girls’ Day with mochi and pancakes, so I can’t expect authenticity in traditions. This year, as we took our young daughters, I couldn’t help feeling a certain nostalgia for a different kind of hanami, perhaps even a desire for a broader awareness of this tradition in Seattle.
Recipe For An Improvised Girls’ Day
So why celebrate? Part of the answer lies in presence: the desire to be connected with family, with some of the intentions of Girls’ Day: a day to wish the girls happiness in their futures: a day to sit around a table and share food. And yet part of why we celebrate Girls’ Day also lies in distance.