Day of green
The Greenery Day ( Jap. 緑の日 , Midori no Hi ) is a Japanese holiday that was celebrated 1989-2006 on April 29 and is celebrated since 2007 on May 4.
Origin and dating
April 29th is the birthday of the Shōwa emperor Hirohito. This day was a national holiday in Japan during the Emperor's lifetime. In 1989, the year of his death, the day was renamed "Day of the Green" and kept as a national holiday. The new name of the holiday was intended to remind of the Showa emperor's closeness to nature. Since 2007, April 29 has been called Shōwa Day in commemoration of the Shōwa period . The day of the green has been moved to May 4th and is therefore no longer the first, but the fifth day of the Golden Week . Until 2007, May 4th was a rest and bridging day ( 国民 の 休 日 , Kokumin no kyūjitsu ) between Constitutional Remembrance Day ( Kenpo Kinenbi ) on May 3rd and Children's Day ( Kodomo no Hi ) on May 5th.
Customs
The day of green is a day of nature and the environment. Japanese families take trips to the great outdoors or to parks, which offer free entry on May 4th. There are also sporting events and ceremonial plantings. Green Day is also used by environmentalists to offer events and lectures, for example to thank nature, which plays an important role as a supplier of food.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Feature - Golden Week. Japanese Embassy, 2007, accessed December 23, 2014 .
- ↑ Green Day. Calendaruhrzeit.de, accessed on December 23, 2014 .