Nozawa Fire Festival: Traditional event in Nozawa Onsen, Japan, featuring fire-laden rituals, community participation, and celebration of cultural heritage.
The Nozawa Fire Festival, held on January 15, involves a ceremonial fiery battle to purify participants for the new year.
Sparks fly and fierce battles ignite during the Nozawa Fire Festival, a staple of Japan's New Year’s celebrations. On January 15, this intense event is all about purification and new beginnings, showcasing rituals, music, and performances that light up the streets. With roots tracing back to 1863, the festival honors dosojin, deities symbolizing travel safety, health, and fertility, as families bring wooden figurines to be ceremoniously burned. The highlight is a wild showdown between two teams defending a grand portable shrine from fire-toting locals. With men aged 25 and 42 marked as unlucky, they bravely face off, knowing that ultimately, the shrine will end up in flames. But fear not—the spirit is all in good fun! As the shrine turns to ash, attendees feast and celebrate, believing the fire's warmth will grant them health for the year ahead.
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