Koi Nobori
Koinobori ( Jap. 鯉のぼり ,鯉幟, dt. Carp flag or carp kites ) and Satsuki-nobori ( 五月幟 , dt. Maifahne ) are small windsocks that the Japanese Children's Day (May 5) are hoisted in front of houses. They are constructed like a windsock and, in addition to the parent carp, use small carp flags to indicate how many young a family has.
Traditionally in Japan the carp, which swims with great force against the current, is associated with young. These flags are painted or printed on paper, cloth or other textiles.
The colors of the carp kite have a symbolic meaning . The big black carp stands for the father, the red for the mother and the blue carp for the sons. No flags were originally allowed to fly for girls. However, this has now changed and many families hang up colorful carp for each of their children. The traditional color scheme is increasingly joined by carp in all colors of the rainbow.
