Shichigosan (七五三, 7-5-3) is a rite of passage ceremony for kids in Japan. It’s held on November 15th and as the name suggests, it’s for kids turning 7, 5, and 3 years old. For boys, it’s held when they’re 3 and 5; for girls, 3 and 7. It’s a festival that celebrates their reaching middle childhood.
The official day is November 15th but it’s not a national holiday, so when it lands on a weekday, it’s celebrated on the weekend. Kids are taken by their families to the local shrine to pray for health and success in life. Girls dress in kimonos and boys dress in traditional hakama (袴, traditionally clothing for men that fits over a kimono) or little-boy suits.
After the praying is done, a plethora of photographs are taken which will be proudly displayed at home. Traditionally, bags full of candy are given to kids. This is a long, thin candy called chitose-ame (千歳あめ, thousand-year candy). Its length symbolizes longevity, as do the images of cranes and turtles that often decorate the bags.
Why the Numbers?
Why these particular numbers? First of all, odd numbers are considered lucky in many Asian cultures, Japan included. The specific numbers are also related to landmarks in the lives of the Japanese kids of centuries past.
Shichigosan originated in the Heian Period (794-1185) and was only celebrated by the samurai class. In this stratum of society, babies’ heads were shaved until they were 3 years old.
At age 5, boys would begin wearing hakama and at age 7, girls began wearing obi (帯, a kind of belt worn to tighten a kimono). Before this age, a girl’s kimono would be held on with a simple cord. By the Edo Period (1603-1868) commoners in most parts of Japan were celebrating Shichigosan and, although the original traditions had fallen away, the ages stuck.
Shichigosan had another important meaning. In effect, it was a celebration that said, ‘You made it, kid.’ In centuries past, the rate of infant and early childhood mortality was high and many kids didn’t make it to 3, much less 5 or 7.
The reason for the date is mysterious. Some say it’s because 3, 5, and 7 added together equal 15. Another story is that the son of Tokugawa, an important figure in Japanese history who founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, was born on November 15th.
Modern shichigosan
The traditions may have faded somewhat, but it’s still an important day for families today. You see kids everywhere in their kimonos munching on candies and families dressed in their best to visit shrines on the weekend before or after November 15th.
Shichigosan is just one of many age-based rites of passage. Japan is a society where age is important. Because of the Confucian influence from China, age plays an important part in social relationships where seniority always matters. There are even yakudoshi (厄年, unlucky years) in a person’s life and many other age-related milestones.
