How to celebrate Shichi-Go-San

How the timing and age of celebrating Shichi-Go-San has changed with the times

The ages at which boys and girls celebrate are 3 and 5 years old for boys, and 3 and 7 years old for girls. However, in modern times, it seems that it doesn't matter whether you celebrate by age in the traditional Japanese system or by your child's full age. If you want to preserve their innocent expression, you should celebrate by their age in the traditional Japanese system, but if you want to capture their as grown-up appearance as possible, you should celebrate by their full age.

* What is age by Japanese counting?: The traditional Japanese way of counting age is to count one year old at birth and add one year to one's age with each New Year's Day.
*Full age: A counting method in which a person is considered to be 0 years old when they are born and 1 year old on their next birthday.

Also, regarding the date and time of the celebration, there is a tendency to think that it has to be on November 15th because there are various traditions associated with that day, but that is not the case, and some people think that it is fine to celebrate at a time about a month before or after that date if you have more time. It seems that people are placing importance on the desire to celebrate, and the range of thinking seems to be becoming more relaxed in line with the trends of the times.

Diversifying ways to celebrate Shichi-Go-San

Shichigosan is a celebration of the growth of children who turn three, five, and seven years old, and is called Shichigosan after the ages they are celebrating. It is also said to have the meaning of making children aware of their own growth. In ancient times, the original way of celebrating was to visit a shrine on November 15th, offer a prayer, and receive chitose-ame candy before going home, but in modern times there seem to be various forms of celebration. It seems common to visit a shrine but not offer a prayer, and instead just take commemorative photos with parents and grandparents, have a meal, and then go home.

Why celebrate growth in the first place?

The origins of Shichigosan are unclear, with some saying it originated in the Heian period and others in the Muromachi period. Infant mortality rates were extremely high at the time. Seven was the age at which a child was considered fully established as a human being, and before that, they were treated as "children of the gods" who could easily disappear. Therefore, celebrations were held at each milestone age, as if to establish life in this world. This is believed to be the origin of the Shichigosan event. It wasn't until the Edo period that the clear divisions of ages three, five, and seven were established. At three, children reach the milestone of "Kamioki," where they begin to grow their hair; at five, they begin wearing hakama (hakama-gi); and at seven, girls change into kimono (obi-tsuke), where they wear a sash. Today, this has evolved into a ritual held before the gods to give thanks for healthy growth. It's also said that the celebration began on November 15th, when Tokugawa Iemitsu's son, Tokumatsu, was sickly and prayers were offered for his health on this day. It is said that this tradition spread as common people began to learn it. The 15th of the lunar calendar is an auspicious day known as "Oniyadobi," when demons do not roam the streets. There is also a theory that November of the lunar calendar is the month when people give thanks to the gods for the autumn harvest, and that the 15th was chosen as the day when the full moon occurs.