Japan
Japan didn't celebrate the western-style Halloween until now, because most people there knew little about Halloween and others didn't know why it's celebrated. The Japanese celebrate the "Obon Festival" (also known as "Matsuri" or "Urabon" pronounced oh bone. The "Obon Festival" takes place during July or August, region, festivals, food booths, and bon dances can be found in the evening, with lots of people enjoying themselves. The celebration happens different times depending in what region of Japan. "Obon Festival" It is celebrated to honor the spirits of ancestors. Bright red lanterns are hung everywhere and special foods are prepared. Lit candles are placed in lanterns and then placed on rivers and seas to float, this is called "omiyage" and it helps the spirits back to the other shore. To show where ancestors families are during "Obon Festival", a fire is lit. "Obon" is one of the two main occasions during the Japanese year when the dead are believed to return to their birthplaces. In tradition, where grave-sites are in rural neighborhood, the pathway from the graves to the home is swept clean. Also house cleaning is done. On the 13th, an altar is build with various food offerings, and "welcoming fires" are set in front of the house and along the path to guide and welcome the spirits. People sometimes even hire a priest to come and chant prayers. On the evening of the 15th "send-off fires" are lit, and the spirits return to their graves. People who spend "Obon" away from their ancestral homes or live in a city usually just make a little token fire on their porch or patio. Memorial stones are cleaned and community dances performed. Even those who don't observe the religious rite outlined above participate in the festivals. You would see many people wearing a" yukata." Yukata is lightweight cotton kimono, but now you usually only see a few girls wearing them.
Recently Japan had been taking part in American Halloween. You could see western style Halloween decorations such as Jack'O Lanterns at many places. Also places such as Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan hold special Halloween events. Many people now where costumes on Halloween. You rarely see trick or treating though. Every year in Japan, the Japanese hold the popular Kawasaki Halloween Parade in the Kanagawa Prefecture just outside of Tokyo. The parade is the largest parade celebrating Halloween in Japan with over 3,500 people participating.
Recently Japan had been taking part in American Halloween. You could see western style Halloween decorations such as Jack'O Lanterns at many places. Also places such as Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan hold special Halloween events. Many people now where costumes on Halloween. You rarely see trick or treating though. Every year in Japan, the Japanese hold the popular Kawasaki Halloween Parade in the Kanagawa Prefecture just outside of Tokyo. The parade is the largest parade celebrating Halloween in Japan with over 3,500 people participating.
Korea
Korea celebrates a holiday similar to Halloween it's called "Chuseok." The "Chuseok" is a 3 day festival celebrated on August 15th. As families return to their home towns to pay respects to the spirits of their ancestors, they visit the tombs of their ancestors to trim plants and clean the area around the tomb. they also offer food, drinks, and crops to their ancestors. Seongmyo and Beolcho are also done around Chuseok week. Seongmyo is a visiting to ancestral grave sites and Beolcho is the activity to remove weeds around the grave, so that the grave is clean.
Charye (a ancestral memorial rites) is done in the morning of Chuseok. Families hold a memorial service for their ancestors usually four generations back. The meaning of Charye is to return their favors and honor them. Koreans do not believe that a person is really dead when they physically die. They believe their spirits are still alive and protect the descendants, so they honor their ancestors by preparing special foods for them. It is important to arrange the foods of Charye on the table in certain spots. On the North side of the table rice ans soup is placed while fruits and vegetables are placed on the South side of the table. On the West and middle of the table, meat dishes are served. Also on the East, rice cake and some drinks such as makgeolli or soju are placed. In tradition a variety of folk games are played on Chuseok to celebrate the arriving of Autumn and rich harvest. Village folk dress themselves like a cow or a turtle, and go from house to house along with a Nongak or Pungmul band playing music. Other common folk games played on Chuseok are archery and Ssireum (Korean Wrestling). Folk games are different from region to region. The Ganggangsullae dance is a traditional folk dance performed under the full moon in the night of Chuseok. Women wear Korean traditional dresses called hanbok and make a big circle by holding hands of each other. They sing a song while they are going around a circle. Its name, Ganggangsullae came from the refrain repeated after each verse, so there is no actual meaning to it.
Charye (a ancestral memorial rites) is done in the morning of Chuseok. Families hold a memorial service for their ancestors usually four generations back. The meaning of Charye is to return their favors and honor them. Koreans do not believe that a person is really dead when they physically die. They believe their spirits are still alive and protect the descendants, so they honor their ancestors by preparing special foods for them. It is important to arrange the foods of Charye on the table in certain spots. On the North side of the table rice ans soup is placed while fruits and vegetables are placed on the South side of the table. On the West and middle of the table, meat dishes are served. Also on the East, rice cake and some drinks such as makgeolli or soju are placed. In tradition a variety of folk games are played on Chuseok to celebrate the arriving of Autumn and rich harvest. Village folk dress themselves like a cow or a turtle, and go from house to house along with a Nongak or Pungmul band playing music. Other common folk games played on Chuseok are archery and Ssireum (Korean Wrestling). Folk games are different from region to region. The Ganggangsullae dance is a traditional folk dance performed under the full moon in the night of Chuseok. Women wear Korean traditional dresses called hanbok and make a big circle by holding hands of each other. They sing a song while they are going around a circle. Its name, Ganggangsullae came from the refrain repeated after each verse, so there is no actual meaning to it.