※Translated with Notion AI. (Plus version)
Today is the day of the 72nd solar term, “Wild Geese Fly North”.
The geese that have spent the winter in Japan now head north, replacing the swallows that arrived in the spring.
“Wild Geese” refers to migratory birds called “gan”, with “hishikui” indicating larger geese and “gan” indicating smaller ones.
Geese are often used in family crests, and have been familiar to the Japanese people for a long time, with connections to the wagashi “Rakugan” and the premium stalk tea “Karigane”. Geese are large birds, with a wingspan that can reach 1.4 meters.
Although they are the representative bird of Miyagi Prefecture, their numbers are decreasing in Japan, leading them to be protected.
Unfortunately, modernization seems to be robbing these birds of their habitats.
Now, have you ever seen 6th grade children visiting shrines at this time of year?
While fewer parents seem to be doing this recently, in rural areas there still exists this seasonal culture.
That is “Thirteen Visits”.
This might be one of the events you should remember as a parent and as grandparents.
