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今年は、去年よりも早く真夏日を迎えました。桜の知らせが届く頃に、宮崎や高知で真夏日が記録されたと耳にしました。そして桜を惜しむ頃には、本州でも広く真夏日となりました。少し歩くだけで汗ばむ季節外れの暖かさの中、この先に来る夏が思いやられます。「ああ無事に酷暑を乗り越えられますように」と祈るばかりです。

古来、旧暦の五月五日に薬玉を飾る習慣があります。これは、６１１年のこの日に、推古天皇が大和の兎田野(奈良県宇陀)に行き「薬狩り」を催したことに始まります。男性は鹿狩りをして鹿茸(ろくじょう・鹿の角)と採り、女性は薬草を採取しました。その薬草の中には菖蒲と蓬も含まれていて、それが今では端午の節句に欠かせないものになりました。また薬草とともに沈香や丁子などの香料を錦の袋に詰めた「薬玉(くすだま)」に五色の糸を垂らして飾り、延命長寿、無病息災を願いました。この先にやってくる厳しい真夏に備えるものだったのでしょう。

「薬玉」は夏越しを終え、９月８日まで飾られます。翌９日、重陽には茱萸袋に替えられます。

This year, we had hot summer days earlier than last year.  Before the news of cherry blossoms arrived, midsummer days were recorded in Miyazaki and Kochi.  By the time the cherry blossoms began to fall, hot summer days were observed in various parts of Honshu as well. The unseasonably warm weather, which makes us sweat just by walking a little, makes us worry about this summer.  I wish that we will be able to get over the heat safely.

Japanese people in the past used to hang the scent ball on May 5th.  This custom is said to have started on May 5th in 611 AC when Empress Suiko held the “medicine hunting” in Utano, Uda district, Nara.  Women picked medicinal herbs, while men hunted deer to get their antler velvet, which is one of the medicines.  They also picked irises and Japanese mugworts, which are essential for today’s Tango no sekku festival.  With the medicinal herbs, fragrances (e.g. agarwood and clove) were packed in a Japanese brocade bag, which was called the scented ball (Kusudama).  Ancient people decorated it with five colored threads and prayed for longevity and good health.  They would try to prepare for the intense heat of midsummer.  The scented ball was decorated until September 8th, and then, changed it to the bag with elaeagnus on September 9th.

*Grain rain/ Start of Summer: The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms.  “Grain rain” is the 6th solar term and starts on April 20th.  “Start of Summer” is the 7th solar term and starts on May 5th.