About Obon - Part 1

Obon (The Festival of the Dead) is an annual Buddhist ritual which occurs in July (Western Julian calendar) or August ( Chinese lunar calendar) depending on the location.
For several consecutive evenings in the cemetery next to the temple, family members hang paper lanterns painted with the family crest to guide their ancestors' spirits back to the ohaka (family tomb). The air is heavy with the smoke and smell of incense.

Images of Obon 1993: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Q & A | Links

About Hatsubon - Honouring those who died in the past year

Visit the Virtual Tomb if you dare ...

Obon-fest '99 - Portland, Oregon, USA

Obon 1999: Rained Out

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