Japanese festivals have both religious and secular celebrations throughout the year. Some of the major festivals include New Year celebrations from January 1-3 where families gather, exchange cards, and eat soba noodles. In March, the Doll Festival honors girls and involves viewing decorated dolls. Hanami in April celebrates cherry blossom viewing with parties and picnics. Boy's Day in May celebrates boys with carp streamers and rice cakes. Tanabata in July involves writing wishes on paper to hang on bamboo. The Bon Festival in August honors ancestors at family graves. The "7-5-3" Festival in November has children visiting shrines for safety. Ōmisoka on December 31 celebrates the new year

1. Japanese festivals Traditional festive occasions in Japan By Daria

2. Matsuri ( 祭 ) It is a word for a festival or holiday in Japanese. Japanese festivals are mainly sponsored by a shrine or temple. Some of the festivals are secular.

3. New Year ( 正月 Shōgatsu) 1-3 of January the most important annual event people decorate homes, families gather and visit temples or shrines toshikoshisoba - soba noodles are eaten at midnight at dawn on the 1st of January, the emperor offers prayers for the well-being of the nation people exchange New Year's greeting cards games are played to bring good luck Koshōgatsu (Small New Year) starts around 15 January when people pray for a good harvest.

4. Doll Festival ( 雛祭り ) 3 March parents pray for the happiness of their girls girls put on their best kimonos and visit their friends hishimochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes) and shirozake (rice malt with sake) are eaten

5. Hanami ( 花見 ) flower festivals are held at Shinto shrines in April flower viewing parties are held people go on excursions and picnics to enjoy flowers, especially cherry blossoms

6. Boy's Day ( 子供の日 Kodomo no hi ) 5 May Iris is connected with this festival as a symbol of martial spirit given to boys families with male children fly koinobori (carp streamers) and display warrior dolls chimaki and kashiwamochi (special rice cakes) are eaten

7. Tanabata ( 七夕 ) 7 July Tanabata was a maiden from a Japanese legend making clothes for gods wishes are written on narrow paper strips and hang on bamboo branches

8. Bon Festival ( 盆 bon ) 13-15 August people honour the spirits of ancestors, clean grave sites and prepare a path from them to the house straw horses or oxen for the ancestors' are prepared

9. "7-5-3" Festival ( 七五三 Shichigosan) 15 November little boys and girls go to shrines to pray for safety and healthy future children wear traditional clothes people buy chitose-ame (thousand-year candy) at the shrine

10. Ōmisoka( 大晦日 Ōmisoka ) 31 December people celebrate passing of the old year and the coming of the new year people visit Buddhist temples where bells rung at midnight zaru-soba (long noodles) are eaten to extend family fortunes like them

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