Light Some Bamboo Rope For a Year’s Worth of Good Luck

The Okerasai Festival at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto on December 31st every year from about 7 pm to the wee hours if New Year morning is a unique event that reflects the culture of old Heian Kyo. After the festival and ceremony for purification of sins (Joya-sai), the Okera fire is moved to the two Okera Tourou. People ignite the lantern’s matchlock with the sacred fire then carry the lantern back home to ignite a candle before the home altar. They make zouni (rice cakes boiled with vegetables on New Year’s Day) by that fire and pray for happiness during the new year.

References

In English

https://kyoto.travel/en/planyourvisit/events/schedule/40

https://jpninfo.com/38198

In Japanese

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/白朮祭

https://kazenotabi-kyoto.com/encyclopedia/kyoto-season/okeramairi.html

Photo thanks to Mainichi.com.

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