1. First Rites by doggieearlover [Reviews - 1] (305 words)
Shichi Go San (Seven Five Three) - Japanese celebration for girls age three and seven and boys aged three and five to pray for good health and growth. The observance takes place on November 15th, though when the date falls during the week it is usually on the weekend before or after since it is not a national holiday. Children of that age are dressed in their finest and taken to a Shinto Shrine. Boys age five wear hakama in public for the first time, and girls age seven are given a traditional obi to replace the simple cords they wear until that time. Girls age three wear a special padded vest called a hifu with their kimono. After the ceremony they are given a bag with a crane and turtle on it, which represents long life, which contains three, five, or seven pieces of Chitose ame (thousand years candy). It is a long thin red and white candy stick that represents longevity. The practice was started by the nobility during the Heian Period, but by the Edo period the custom had spread to the commoners.